Bulgaria

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This article is about the country. For other uses, see Bulgaria (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 4245N 2530E

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Republic of Bulgaria

Republika Blgariya (Bulgarian)

Flag Coat of arms

Motto:
 (Bulgarian)
"Sedinenieto pravi silata" (transliteration)
"Unity makes strength"

Anthem:
(Bulgarian)
Mila Rodino (transliteration)
Dear Motherland

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Location of Bulgaria (dark green)

in Europe (green & dark grey)

in the European Union (green) [Legend]

Capital Sofia
and largest city 4241N 2319E
Official languages Bulgarian
Official script Cyrillic
84.8% Bulgarians
8.8% Turks
Ethnic groups (2011[1]) 4.9% Roma
1.5% others

DemonymBulgarian
Unitary parliamentary
Government
republic
President Rosen Plevneliev
Vice President Margarita Popova
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov
Speaker of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva
Legislature National Assembly
Formation
 First Bulgarian Empire 6801018
Second Bulgarian Empire 11851422
Principality of Bulgaria 3 March 1878[note 1]
Declaration of Independence from
5 October 1908[note 2]
the Ottoman Empire
Current constitution 13 July 1991
European Union accession 1 January 2007
Area
110,994 km2
Total
(42,855 sq mi) (105th)
Water (%) 0.3
Population
2014 census 7,202,198[2] (101st)
64.9/km2 (168.1/sq mi)
Density
(95th)
GDP (PPP) 2016 estimate
Total $141.375 billion[3] (66th)
Per capita $19,839 (67th)
GDP (nominal) 2016 estimate
Total $48.957 billion[3] (75th)
Per capita $6,927 (76th)
37[4]
Gini (2015)
medium
0.782[5]
HDI (2014)
high 59th
Currency Lev (BGN)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Drives on the right
Calling code +359
ISO 3166 code BG
Internet TLD .bg

Bulgaria ( i/blri, bl-/; Bulgarian: , tr. Blgariya), officially the Republic of

Bulgaria (Bulgarian: , tr. Republika Blgariya, pronounced [rpublik
barij]), is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia
and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. With a
territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country.

Organised prehistoric cultures began developing on current Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic
period. Its ancient history saw the presence of the Thracians, Greeks and Romans. The
emergence of a unified Bulgarian state dates back to the establishment of the First Bulgarian
Empire in 681 AD, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for
Slavs during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its
territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877
78 led to the formation of the Third Bulgarian State. The following years saw several conflicts
with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both world wars. In
1946 it became a one-party socialist state as part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. In December
1989 the ruling Communist Party allowed multi-party elections, which subsequently led to
Bulgaria's transition into a democracy and a market-based economy.

Bulgaria's population of 7.4 million people is predominantly urbanised and mainly concentrated
in the administrative centres of its 28 provinces. Most commercial and cultural activities are
centred on the capital and largest city, Sofia. The strongest sectors of the economy are heavy
industry, power engineering, and agriculture, all of which rely on local natural resources.

The country's current political structure dates to the adoption of a democratic constitution in
1991. Bulgaria is a unitary parliamentary republic with a high degree of political, administrative,
and economic centralisation. It is a member of the European Union, NATO, and the Council of
Europe; a founding state of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE);
and has taken a seat at the UN Security Council three times.

Contents
1 History
o 1.1 Prehistory and antiquity
o 1.2 First Bulgarian Empire
o 1.3 Second Bulgarian Empire
o 1.4 Ottoman rule
o 1.5 Third Bulgarian state
2 Geography
o 2.1 Environment
o 2.2 Biodiversity
3 Politics
o 3.1 Administrative divisions
o 3.2 Foreign relations
o 3.3 Military
4 Economy
o 4.1 Science and technology
4.1.1 Miscellaneous
o 4.2 Infrastructure
5 Demographics
6 Culture
o 6.1 UNESCO World Heritage
6.1.1 Cultural
6.1.2 Natural
o 6.2 Sports
7 See also
8 Footnotes
9 References
10 Bibliography
 11 External links

History
Main article: History of Bulgaria

Prehistory and antiquity

Further information: Neolithic Europe, Odrysian kingdom, Thracians, and Slavs

Human activity in the lands of modern Bulgaria can be traced back to the Paleolithic. Animal
bones incised with man-made markings from Kozarnika cave are assumed to be the earliest
examples of symbolic behaviour in humans.[6] Organised prehistoric societies in Bulgarian lands
include the Neolithic Hamangia culture,[7] Vina culture[8] and the eneolithic Varna culture (fifth
millennium BC). The latter is credited with inventing gold working and exploitation.[9][10] Some
of these first gold smelters produced the coins, weapons and jewellery of the Varna Necropolis
treasure, the oldest in the world with an approximate age of over 6,000 years.[11] This site also
offers insights for understanding the social hierarchy of the earliest European societies.[12][13]

Thracians, one of the three primary ancestral groups of modern Bulgarians,[14] began appearing
in the region during the Iron Age.[15] In the late 6th century BC, the Persians conquered most of
present-day Bulgaria.[16][17][18] and kept it until 479 BC.[18] With influence from the Persians,[19]
the bulk of the Thracian tribes were united in the Odrysian kingdom in the 470s BC by king
Teres,[20][21][22] but were later subjugated by Alexander the Great and by the Romans in 46 AD.
After the division of the Roman Empire in the 5th century the area fell under Byzantine control.
By this time, Christianity had already spread in the region. A small Gothic community in
Nicopolis ad Istrum produced the first Germanic language book in the 4th century, the Wulfila
Bible.[23][24] The first Christian monastery in Europe was established around the same time by
Saint Athanasius in central Bulgaria.[25] From the 6th century the easternmost South Slavs
gradually settled in the region, assimilating the Hellenised or Romanised Thracians.[26][27]

First Bulgarian Empire

Main article: First Bulgarian Empire

Khan Krum feasts with his nobles after the battle of Pliska. His servant (far right) brings the
wine-filled skull cup of Nicephorus I.
In 680 Bulgar tribes[14] under the leadership of Asparukh moved south across the Danube and
settled in the area between the lower Danube and the Balkan, establishing their capital at
Pliska.[28][29] A peace treaty with Byzantium in 681 marked the beginning of the First Bulgarian
Empire. The Bulgars gradually mixed up with the local population, adopting a common language
on the basis of the local Slavic dialect.[30]

Succeeding rulers strengthened the Bulgarian state throughout the 8th and 9th centuries. Krum
doubled the country's territory, killed Byzantine emperor Nicephorus I in the Battle of Pliska,[31]
and introduced the first written code of law. Paganism was abolished in favour of Eastern
Orthodox Christianity under Boris I in 864. This conversion was followed by a Byzantine
recognition of the Bulgarian church[32] and the adoption of the Cyrillic alphabet developed at
Preslav[33] which strengthened central authority and helped fuse the Slavs and Bulgars into a
unified people.[34][35] A subsequent cultural golden age began during the 34-year rule of Simeon
the Great, who also achieved the largest territorial expansion of the state.[36]

Wars with Magyars and Pechenegs and the spread of the Bogomil heresy weakened Bulgaria
after Simeon's death.[37][38] Consecutive Rus' and Byzantine invasions resulted in the seizure of
the capital Preslav by the Byzantine army in 971.[39] Under Samuil, Bulgaria briefly recovered
from these attacks,[40] but this rise ended when Byzantine emperor Basil II defeated the
Bulgarian army at Klyuch in 1014. Samuil died shortly after the battle,[41] and by 1018 the
Byzantines had ended the First Bulgarian Empire.[42]

Second Bulgarian Empire

Main article: Second Bulgarian Empire

After his conquest of Bulgaria, Basil II prevented revolts and discontent by retaining the rule of
the local nobility and by relieving the newly conquered lands of the obligation to pay taxes in
gold, allowing them to be paid in kind instead.[43] He also allowed the Bulgarian Patriarchate to
retain its autocephalous status and all its dioceses, but reduced it to an archbishopric.[43][44] After
his death Byzantine domestic policies changed and a series of unsuccessful rebellions broke out,
the largest being led by Peter Delyan. In 1185 Asen dynasty nobles Ivan Asen I and Peter IV
organised a major uprising which resulted in the re-establishment of the Bulgarian state. Ivan
Asen and Peter laid the foundations of the Second Bulgarian Empire with Tarnovo as the
capital.[45]

The walls of Tsarevets fortress in Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of the second empire
Kaloyan, the third of the Asen monarchs, extended his dominion to Belgrade and Ohrid. He
acknowledged the spiritual supremacy of the pope and received a royal crown from a papal
legate.[46] The empire reached its zenith under Ivan Asen II (12181241), when commerce and
culture flourished.[46] The strong economic and religious influence of Tarnovo made it a "Third
Rome", unlike the already declining Constantinople.[47]

The country's military and economic might declined after the Asen dynasty ended in 1257,
facing internal conflicts, constant Byzantine and Hungarian attacks and Mongol
domination.[46][48] By the end of the 14th century, factional divisions between the feudal
landlords and the spread of Bogomilism had caused the Second Bulgarian Empire to split into
three tsardomsVidin, Tarnovo and Karvunaand several semi-independent principalities that
fought each other, along with Byzantines, Hungarians, Serbs, Venetians and Genoese. By the late
14th century the Ottoman Turks had started their conquest of Bulgaria and had taken most towns
and fortresses south of the Balkan mountains.[46]

Ottoman rule

Main article: Ottoman Bulgaria

Hristo Botev, a prominent revolutionary in the April Uprising

Tarnovo was captured by the Ottomans after a three-month siege in 1393. After the Battle of
Nicopolis in 1396 brought about the fall of the Vidin Tsardom, the Ottomans conquered all
Bulgarian lands south of the Danube. The nobility was eliminated and the peasantry was
enserfed to Ottoman masters,[49] with much of the educated clergy fleeing to other countries.[50]
Under the Ottoman system, Christians were considered an inferior class of people. Thus,
Bulgarians, like other Christians, were subjected to heavy taxes and a small portion of the
Bulgarian populace experienced partial or complete Islamisation,[51] and their culture was
suppressed.[50] Ottoman authorities established the Rum Millet, a religious administrative
community which governed all Orthodox Christians regardless of their ethnicity.[52] Most of the
local population gradually lost its distinct national consciousness, identifying as Christians.[53][54]
However, the clergy remaining in some isolated monasteries kept it alive, and that helped it to
survive as in some rural, remote areas,[55] as well as in the militant Catholic community in the
northwestern part of the country.[56]

Several Bulgarian revolts erupted throughout the nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule, most
notably the Habsburg-backed[57] Tarnovo uprisings in 1598 and in 1686, the Chiprovtsi Uprising
in 1688 and Karposh's Rebellion in 1689.[49] In the 18th century, the Enlightenment in Western
Europe provided influence for the initiation of a movement known as the National awakening of
Bulgaria.[49] It restored national consciousness and became a key factor in the liberation struggle,
resulting in the 1876 April Uprising. Up to 30,000 Bulgarians were killed as Ottoman authorities
put down the rebellion. The massacres prompted the Great Powers to take action.[58] They
convened the Constantinople Conference in 1876, but their decisions were rejected by the
Ottomans. This allowed the Russian Empire to seek a solution by force without risking military
confrontation with other Great Powers, as had happened in the Crimean War.[58] In 1877 Russia
declared war on the Ottoman Empire and defeated its forces with the help of Bulgarian
volunteers.

Third Bulgarian state

Main articles: History of Bulgaria (18781946), People's Republic of Bulgaria, and History of
Bulgaria since 1989

The Russian and Bulgarian defence of Shipka Pass was crucial for the independence of
Bulgaria.[59]

The Treaty of San Stefano was signed on 3 March 1878 by Russia and the Ottoman Empire, and
included a provision to set up an autonomous Bulgarian principality roughly on the territories of
the Second Bulgarian Empire.[60][61] The other Great Powers immediately rejected the treaty out
of fear that such a large country in the Balkans might threaten their interests. It was superseded
by the subsequent Treaty of Berlin, signed on 13 July, provided for a much smaller state
comprising Moesia and the region of Sofia, leaving large populations of Bulgarians outside the
new country.[60][62] This played a significant role in forming Bulgaria's militaristic approach to
foreign affairs during the first half of the 20th century.[63]

The Bulgarian principality won a war against Serbia and incorporated the semi-autonomous
Ottoman territory of Eastern Rumelia in 1885, proclaiming itself an independent state on 5
October 1908.[64] In the years following independence, Bulgaria increasingly militarised and was
often referred to as "the Balkan Prussia".[65][66]
Between 1912 and 1918, Bulgaria became involved in three consecutive conflictstwo Balkan
Wars and World War I. After a disastrous defeat in the Second Balkan War, Bulgaria again
found itself fighting on the losing side as a result of its alliance with the Central Powers in World
War I. Despite fielding more than a quarter of its population in a 1,200,000-strong army[67][68]
and achieving several decisive victories, at Doiran and Dobrich, the country capitulated in 1918.
The war resulted in significant territorial losses, and a total of 87,500 soldiers killed.[69] More
than 253,000 refugees immigrated to Bulgaria from 1912 to 1929 due to the effects of these
wars,[70] placing additional strain on the already ruined national economy.[71]

The political unrest resulting from these losses led to the establishment of a royal authoritarian
dictatorship by Tsar Boris III (19181943). Bulgaria entered World War II in 1941 as a member
of the Axis but declined to participate in Operation Barbarossa and saved its Jewish population
from deportation to concentration camps.[72] The sudden death of Boris III in the summer of 1943
pushed the country into political turmoil as the war turned against Germany and the communist
guerrilla movement gained momentum. The government of Bogdan Filov subsequently failed to
achieve peace with the Allies. Bulgaria did not comply with Soviet demands to expel German
forces from its territory, resulting in a declaration of war and an invasion by the USSR in
September 1944.[73] The communist-dominated Fatherland Front took power, ended participation
in the Axis and joined the Allied side until the war ended.[74]

Bulgarian soldiers with wire cutters during WWI

The left-wing uprising of 9 September 1944 led to the abolition of monarchic rule, but it was not
until 1946 that a one-party people's republic was established.[75] It became a part of the Soviet
sphere of influence under the leadership of Georgi Dimitrov (19461949), who laid the
foundations for a rapidly industrialising Stalinist state which was also highly repressive with
thousands of dissidents executed.[76][77][78] By the mid-1950s standards of living rose
significantly,[79] while political repressions were lessened.[80] By the 1980s both national and per
capita GDPs quadrupled,[81] but the economy remained prone to debt spikes, the most severe
taking place in 1960, 1977 and 1980.[82] The Soviet-style planned economy saw some market-
oriented policies emerging on an experimental level under Todor Zhivkov (19541989).[83] His
daughter Lyudmila bolstered national pride by promoting Bulgarian heritage, culture and arts
worldwide.[84] In an attempt to erase the identity of the ethnic Turk minority, an assimilation
campaign was launched in 1984 which included closing mosques and forcing ethnic Turks to
adopt Slavic names. These policies (combined with the end of communist rule in 1989) resulted
in the emigration of some 300,000 ethnic Turks to Turkey.[85][86]

Under the influence of the collapsing of the Eastern Bloc, on 10 November 1989 the Communist
Party gave up its political monopoly, Zhivkov resigned, and Bulgaria embarked on a transition to
a parliamentary democracy.[87] The first free elections in June 1990 were won by the Bulgarian
Socialist Party (BSP, the freshly renamed Communist Party).[88] A new constitution that provided
for a relatively weak elected president and for a prime minister accountable to the legislature was
adopted in July 1991. The new system initially failed to improve living standards or create
economic growththe average quality of life and economic performance remained lower than
under communism well into the early 2000s.[89] A 1997 reform package restored economic
growth, but living standards continued to suffer.[90] After 2001 economic, political and
geopolitical conditions improved greatly,[91] and Bulgaria achieved high Human Development
status.[92] It became a member of NATO in 2004[93] and participated in the War in Afghanistan.
After several years of reforms it joined the European Union in 2007 despite continued concerns
about government corruption.[94]

Geography
Main article: Geography of Bulgaria

Bulgaria occupies a portion of the eastern Balkan peninsula, bordering five countriesGreece
and Turkey to the south, Macedonia and Serbia to the west, and Romania to the north. The land
borders have a total length of 1,808 kilometres (1,123 mi), and the coastline has a length of 354
kilometres (220 mi).[95] Its total area of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi) ranks it as the
world's 105th-largest country.[96][97] Bulgaria's geographic coordinates are 43 N 25 E.[98]

The most notable topographical features are the Danubian Plain, the Balkan Mountains, the
Thracian Plain, and the Rhodope Mountains.[95] The southern edge of the Danubian Plain slopes
upward into the foothills of the Balkans, while the Danube defines the border with Romania. The
Thracian Plain is roughly triangular, beginning southeast of Sofia and broadening as it reaches
the Black Sea coast.[95]

Left: Pirin Mountain in western Bulgaria

Right: Maslen nos Primorsko on the Black Sea coast

The Balkan mountains run laterally through the middle of the country. The mountainous
southwest of the country has two alpine rangesRila and Pirin, which border the lower but more
extensive Rhodope Mountains to the east.[95] Bulgaria is home to the highest point of the Balkan
peninsula, Musala, at 2,925 metres (9,596 ft)[99] and its lowest point is sea level. Plains occupy
about one-third of the territory, while plateaus and hills occupy 41 per cent.[100] The country has
a dense network of about 540 rivers, most of which are relatively small and with low water
levels.[101] The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, has a length of 368
kilometres (229 mi). Other major rivers include the Struma and the Maritsa in the south.[95]
Bulgaria has a dynamic climate, which results from its being positioned at the meeting point of
Mediterranean and continental air masses and the barrier effect of its mountains.[95] Northern
Bulgaria averages 1 C (1.8 F) cooler and registers 200 millimetres (7.9 in) more precipitation
annually than the regions south of the Balkan mountains. Temperature amplitudes vary
significantly in different areas. The lowest recorded temperature is 38.3 C (36.9 F), while
the highest is 45.2 C (113.4 F).[102] Precipitation averages about 630 millimetres (24.8 in) per
year, and varies from 500 millimetres (19.7 in) in Dobrudja to more than 2,500 millimetres
(98.4 in) in the mountains. Continental air masses bring significant amounts of snowfall during
winter.[103]

Environment

Bulgaria adopted the Kyoto Protocol[104] and achieved the protocol's objectives by reducing
carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2009 by 30 percent.[105] However, pollution from
factories and metallurgy works and severe deforestation continue to cause major problems to the
health and welfare of the population.[106] In 2013, air pollution in Bulgaria was more severe than
any other European country.[107] Urban areas are particularly affected by energy production from
coal-based powerplants and automobile traffic,[108][109] while pesticide usage in the agriculture
and antiquated industrial sewage systems produce extensive soil and water pollution with
chemicals and detergents.[110] Bulgaria is home to Maritsa Iztok-2, a lignite-fired power station
causing the highest damage costs to health and the environment in the entire European Union
according to the European Environment Agency.[111] It is the only EU member which does not
recycle municipal waste,[112] although an electronic waste recycling plant opened in June
2010.[113] The situation has improved in recent years, and several government-funded programs
have been put into place in an attempt to reduce pollution levels.[110] According to Yale
University's 2012 Environmental Performance Index, Bulgaria is a "modest performer" in
protecting the environment.[114] Over 75% of surface rivers meet the standards for good quality.
An improvement of water quality began in 1998 and has maintained a sustainable trend of
moderate improvement.[115]

Biodiversity

See also: Category:Lists of biota of Bulgaria.

See also: List of fish of the Black Sea
Alluvial forest (Longoz) in Kamchia Biosphere Reserve

The interaction of climatic, hydrological, geological and topographical conditions have produced
a relatively wide variety of plant and animal species.[116] Bulgaria is one of the countries with
highest biodiversity in Europe.[117] Bulgaria's biodiversity is conserved in three national parks, 11
nature parks[118] and 16 biosphere reserves.[119] Nearly 35 per cent of its land area consists of
forests,[120] where some of the oldest trees in the world, such as Baikushev's pine and the Granit
oak,[121] grow. Most of the plant and animal life is central European, although representatives of
Arctic and alpine species are present at high altitudes.[122] Its flora encompass more than 3,800
species of which 170 are endemic and 150 are considered endangered.[123] A checklist of larger
fungi of Bulgaria reported that more than 1,500 species occur in the country.[124] Animal species
include owls, rock partridges, wallcreepers[122] and brown bears.[125] The Eurasian lynx and the
eastern imperial eagle have small, but growing populations.[126]

In 1998, the Bulgarian government approved the National Biological Diversity Conservation
Strategy, a comprehensive programme seeking the preservation of local ecosystems, protection
of endangered species and conservation of genetic resources.[127] Bulgaria has some of the largest
Natura 2000 areas in Europe covering 33.8% of its territory.[128]

Politics
Main article: Politics of Bulgaria

The National Assembly building in Sofia

Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy in which the most powerful executive position is that of
prime minister.[91] The political system has three brancheslegislative, executive and judicial,
with universal suffrage for citizens at least 18 years old. The Constitution of Bulgaria provides
also possibilities of direct democracy.[129] Elections are supervised by an independent Central
Election Commission that includes members from all major political parties. Parties must
register with the commission prior to participating in a national election.[130] Normally, the prime
minister-elect is the leader of the party receiving the most votes in parliamentary elections,
although this is not always the case.[91]

Political parties gather in the National Assembly, which consists of 240 deputies elected to four-
year terms by direct popular vote. The National Assembly has the power to enact laws, approve
the budget, schedule presidential elections, select and dismiss the Prime Minister and other
ministers, declare war, deploy troops abroad, and ratify international treaties and agreements.
The president serves as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and has
the authority to return a bill for further debate, although the parliament can override the
presidential veto by a simple majority vote of all members of parliament.[91]
GERB-backed Rosen Plevneliev is the elected President of Bulgaria after the presidential
elections in 2011 in which he received 52.5 per cent of the votes on the second round against
47.5 per cent for his then-Socialist Party opponent Ivaylo Kalfin.[131]

Political groups in the Parliament and number of representatives (2014):[132]

GERB (centre-right, 83)
BSP Left Bulgaria (centre-left, 38)
DPS (centrist, 36)
Reformist Bloc (right-wing, 23)
Patriotic Front (right-wing, 18)
BBTs (populist, 14)
Attack (far right, 11)
ABV (centre-left, 11)
Independent (6)

Until February 2013 GERB had 117 seats in the National Assembly, ruling as a minority
government without support from the other political parties in the parliament.[133] The
government resigned on 20 February 2013 after nationwide protests caused by high costs of
utilities, low living standards[134] and the failure of the democratic system.[135] The protest wave
was marked by self-immolations, spontaneous demonstrations and a strong sentiment against
political parties.[136] As a consequence, the Parliament was dissolved and a new provisional
government was set up by the President. The subsequent snap elections in May 2013 elections
resulted in a narrow GERB win.[137] However, with no support from the other three political
parties that entered the parliament, on 24 May, GERB leader Borisov returned the president's
mandate to try and form a government. The Bulgarian Socialist Party nominated ex-Finance
Minister Plamen Oresharski for the post of Prime Minister in May 2013.[138][139] Only two weeks
after its initial formation the Oresharski government came under opposition criticism and had to
deal with large-scale protests some with more than 11 000 participants.[140] The government
survived five votes of no-confidence before voluntarily resigning[141] on 23 July 2014.[142] On 6
August, a caretaker government led by Georgi Bliznashki was sworn into office and the
Oresharski government was officially dissolved.[143]

A new round of parliamentary elections on 5 October 2014[144] again resulted in a GERB victory
with around a third of the vote. A total of eight parties won seats, the first time since the
beginning of democratic elections in 1990 that more than seven parties entered parliament.[145]
After being tasked by President Rosen Plevneliev to form a government, Borisov's GERB
formed a coalition[146] and members of the parties in the Reformist Bloc (Democrats for a Strong
Bulgaria (DSB), Union of Democratic Forces (SDS), Bulgaria for Citizens Movement (DBG)
and Bulgarian Agrarian National Union (BZNS)) were chosen for Minister positions. The vice
chairman of the Alternative for Bulgarian Revival party Ivaylo Kalfin was voted for Depute
Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Policy.

Bulgaria has a typical civil law legal system.[147] The judiciary is overseen by the Ministry of
Justice. The Supreme Administrative Court and Supreme Court of Cassation are the highest
courts of appeal and oversee the application of laws in subordinate courts.[130] The Supreme
Judicial Council manages the system and appoints judges. Bulgaria's judiciary, along with other
institutions, remains one of Europe's most corrupt and inefficient.[148][149][150][151]

Law enforcement is carried out by organisations mainly subordinate to the Ministry of the
Interior.[152] The National Police Service (NPS) combats general crime, maintains public order
and supports the operations of other law enforcement agencies.[153] NPS fields 27,000 police
officers in its local and national sections.[154] The Ministry of Interior also heads the Border
Police Service and the National Gendarmeriea specialised branch for anti-terrorist activity,
crisis management and riot control. Counterintelligence and national security are the
responsibility of the State Agency for National Security, established in 2008.[155]

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Provinces of Bulgaria and Municipalities of Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a unitary state.[156] Since the 1880s, the number of territorial management units has
varied from seven to 26.[157] Between 1987 and 1999 the administrative structure consisted of
nine provinces (oblasti, singular oblast). A new administrative structure was adopted in parallel
with the decentralisation of the economic system.[158] It includes 27 provinces and a metropolitan
capital province (Sofia-Grad). All areas take their names from their respective capital cities. The
provinces subdivide into 264 municipalities.

Municipalities are run by mayors, who are elected to four-year terms, and by directly elected
municipal councils. Bulgaria is a highly centralised state, where the national Council of
Ministers directly appoints regional governors and all provinces and municipalities are heavily
dependent on it for funding.[130]

1. Blagoevgrad
2. Burgas
3. Dobrich
4. Gabrovo
5. Haskovo
6. Kardzhali
7. Kyustendil
8. Lovech
9. Montana
10. Pazardzhik
11. Pernik
12. Pleven
13. Plovdiv
14. Razgrad
 15. Ruse
16. Shumen
17. Silistra
18. Sliven
19. Smolyan
20. Sofia Province
21. Stara Zagora
22. Targovishte
23. Varna
24. Veliko Tarnovo
25. Vidin
26. Vratsa
27. Yambol

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Bulgaria

The EU parliament in Brussels. Bulgaria is one of 28 member states of the European Union.

Bulgaria became a member of the United Nations in 1955 and since 1966 has been a non-
permanent member of the Security Council three times, most recently from 2002 to 2003.[159]
Bulgaria was also among the founding nations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE) in 1975. It joined NATO on 29 March 2004, signed the European Union
Treaty of Accession on 25 April 2005,[93][160] and became a full member of the European Union
on 1 January 2007.[94] Polls carried out seven years after the country's accession to the EU found
only 15% of Bulgarians felt they had personally benefited from membership, with almost 40% of
the population saying they would not bother to vote in the 2014 EU elections.[161] Euro-Atlantic
integration became a priority for the country since the fall of Communism, although the
Communist leadership also had aspirations of leaving the Warsaw Pact and joining the European
Communities by 1987.[162][163][164]

Bulgaria's relationship with its neighbours since 1990 has generally been good. The country also
plays an important role in promoting regional security.[165] Bulgaria has an active tripartite
economic and diplomatic collaboration with Romania and Greece,[166] maintains strong relations
with EU members, the United States, and Russia, and continues to improve its traditionally good
ties with China[167] and Vietnam.[168] The HIV trial in Libya, which followed after the
imprisonment of several Bulgarian nurses in Benghazi in 1998, had a significant impact on
relations between Bulgaria, the European Union, and Libya. It resulted in the release of the
nurses by Muammar Gaddafi's government, which was granted a contract to receive a nuclear
reactor and weapons supplies from France in exchange.[169]

Military

Main article: Military of Bulgaria

Mikoyan MiG-29 jet fighters of the Bulgarian Air Force

Bulgaria hosted six KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and 200 support personnel for the war effort in
Afghanistan in 2001, which was the first stationing of foreign forces on its territory since World
War II.[13] International military relations were further expanded in April 2006, when Bulgaria
and the United States signed a defence cooperation agreement providing for the usage of Bezmer
and Graf Ignatievo air bases, the Novo Selo training range, and a logistics centre in Aytos as
joint military training facilities.[170] The same year Foreign Policy magazine listed Bezmer Air
Base as one of the six most important overseas facilities used by the USAF due to its proximity
to the Middle East.[171] A total of 756 troops are deployed abroad[when?] as part of various UN and
NATO missions. Historically, Bulgaria deployed significant numbers of military and civilian
advisors in Soviet-allied countries, such as Nicaragua[172] and Libya (more than 9,000
personnel).[173]

Domestic defence is the responsibility of the all-volunteer military of Bulgaria, consisting of land
forces, navy and air force. The land forces consist of two mechanised brigades and eight
independent regiments and battalions; the air force operates 106 aircraft and air defence systems
in six air bases, and the navy operates a variety of ships, helicopters and coastal defence
measures.[174] Following a series of reductions beginning in 1990, the number of active troops
contracted from 152,000 in 1988[175] to about 32,000 in the 2000s,[176] supplemented in 2010 by a
reserve force of 302,500 soldiers and officers and 34,000 paramilitary servicemen.[177] The
inventory is mostly of Soviet origin, such as MiG-29 fighters, SA-10 Grumble SAMs and SS-21
Scarab short-range ballistic missiles. As of 2012, the government planned to spend $1.4
billion[clarification needed] for the deployment of new fighter jets, communications systems and cyber
warfare capabilities.[178] Total military spending in 2009 cost $819 million.[clarification needed][179][needs
update]

Economy
Main article: Economy of Bulgaria
Rates of economic growth (green and red) and unemployment (blue)

Bulgaria has an emerging market economy[180] in the upper middle income range,[181] where the
private sector accounts for more than 80 per cent of GDP.[182] From a largely agricultural country
with a predominantly rural population in 1948, by the 1980s Bulgaria had transformed into an
industrial economy with scientific and technological research at the top of its budgetary
expenditure priorities.[183] The loss of COMECON markets in 1990 and the subsequent "shock
therapy" of the planned system caused a steep decline in industrial and agricultural production,
ultimately followed by an economic collapse in 1997.[184][185] The economy largely recovered
during a period of rapid growth several years later,[184] but the average salary remains one of the
lowest in the EU at 952 leva (488) per month in March 2016.[186] More than a fifth of the labour
force are employed on a minimum wage of 1 per hour.[187] Wages, however, account for only
half of the total household income,[188] owing to the substantial informal economy which
amounts to almost 32% of GDP.[189] Bulgarian PPS GDP per capita stood at 47 per cent of the
EU average in 2014 according to Eurostat data,[190] while the cost of living was 48 per cent of the
average.[191] The currency is the lev, which is pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 lev for 1
euro.[192] Bulgaria is not part of the eurozone and has abandoned its plans to adopt the euro.[193]

Economic indicators have worsened amid the financial crisis of 20072008. After several
consecutive years of high growth, GDP contracted 5.5 per cent in 2009 and unemployment
remains above 12 per cent.[194][195] Industrial output declined 10 per cent, mining by 31 per cent,
and ferrous and metal production marked a 60 per cent drop.[196] Positive growth was restored in
2010,[195] although investments and consumption continue to decline steadily due to rising
unemployment.[197] The same year, intercompany debt exceeded 51 billion, meaning that 60 per
cent of all Bulgarian companies were mutually indebted.[198] By 2012, it had increased to 83
billion, or 227 per cent of GDP.[199] The government implemented strict austerity measures with
IMF and EU encouragement to some positive fiscal results, but the social consequences of these
measures have been "catastrophic" according to the International Trade Union Confederation.[200]
Corruption remains another obstacle to economic growth. Bulgaria is one of the most corrupt
European Union members and ranks 75th in the Corruption Perceptions Index.[201] Weak law
enforcement and overall low capacity of civil service remain as challenges in curbing corruption.
However, fighting against corruption has become the focus of the government because of the EU
accession, and several anti-corruption programs have been undertaken by different government
agencies.[202]
Bulgaria (orange) and its largest export partners by share of total exports

Economic activities are fostered by the lowest personal and corporate income tax rates in the
EU,[203] and the second-lowest public debt of all member states at 16.5 per cent of GDP in
2012.[204] In 2013, GDP (PPP) was estimated at $119.6 billion, with a per capita value of
$16,518.[205] Sofia and the surrounding Yugozapaden planning area are the most developed
region of the country with a per capita PPS GDP of $27,282 in 2011.[206] Bulgaria is a net
receiver of funds from the EU. The absolute amount of received funds was 589 million in
2009.[207]

The labour force is 2.45 million people,[208] of whom 7.1 per cent are employed in agriculture,
35.2 per cent are employed in industry and 57.7 per cent are employed in the services sector.[209]
Extraction of metals and minerals, production of chemicals, machinery and vehicle
components,[210] petroleum refining[211] and steel are among the major industrial activities.[212]
Mining and its related industries employ a total of 120,000 people and generate about five per
cent of the country's GDP.[213] Bulgaria is Europe's sixth-largest coal producer.[213][214] Local
deposits of coal, iron, copper and lead are vital for the manufacturing and energy sectors.[215]
Almost all top export items of Bulgaria are industrial commodities such as oil products, copper
products and pharmaceuticals.[216] Bulgaria is also a net exporter of agricultural and food
products, of which two-thirds go to OECD countries.[217] It is the largest global producer of
perfumery essential oils such as lavender and rose oil.[13][218] Agriculture has declined
significantly in the past two decades. Production in 2008 amounted to only 66 per cent of that
between 1999 and 2001,[216] while cereal and vegetable yields have dropped by nearly 40 per
cent since 1990.[219] Of the services sector, tourism is the most significant contributor to
economic growth.[220] In recent years, Bulgaria has emerged as a travelling destination with its
inexpensive resorts and beaches outside the reach of the tourist industry.[221][222] Lonely Planet
ranked it among its top 10 destinations for 2011.[223] Most of the visitors are British, Romanian,
German and Russian.[224] The capital Sofia, the medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo,[225] coastal
resorts Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and winter resorts Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets are
some of the locations most visited by tourists.[220]

Science and technology

Main article: Science and technology in Bulgaria

A supercomputer cabinet at NCSA

Bulgaria spends 0.25 per cent of GDP on scientific research, thus having one of the lowest R&D
budgets in Europe.[226][227] Chronic underinvestment in research since 1990 forced many
scientific professionals to leave the country.[228] As a result, Bulgaria scores low in terms of
innovation, competitiveness and high-value added exports.[229][230] Principal areas of research and
development are energy, nanotechnology, archaeology and medicine.[226] The Bulgarian
Academy of Sciences (BAS) is the leading scientific establishment and employs most Bulgarian
researchers in its numerous institutes. It has been active in the field of space science with
RADOM-7 radiation monitoring experiments on the International Space Station[231] and
Chandrayaan-1,[232] and domestically developed space greenhouses on the Mir space
station.[233][234] Bulgaria became the sixth country in the world to have an astronaut in space with
Georgi Ivanov's flight on Soyuz 33 in 1979. Bulgaria is an active member of CERN and has
contributed to its activities with nearly 200 scientists since its accession in 1999.[235][236]

In the 1980s Bulgaria was known as the "Silicon Valley of the Eastern Bloc" because of its
large-scale computing technology exports to COMECON states.[237] The ICT sector generates 10
per cent of GDP[238] and employs the third-largest contingent of ICT specialists in the world. A
National Centre for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) operates the only supercomputer in
Southeastern Europe.[239][240] The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is planning to buy another
supercomputer in 2015 which will be used together with Hi-Tech SME's.[241]

Internet usage has increased rapidly since 2000the number of users grew from 430,000 to
3.4 million (48 per cent penetration rate) in 2010.[242] Telephone services are widely available,
and a central digital trunk line connects most regions.[243] More than 90 per cent of fixed lines are
served by the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC),[244] while mobile services are
provided by three operatorsMtel, Telenor and Vivacom.[245]

Miscellaneous

According to the organization Mensa Bulgarians are second in the world in test results for
intelligence and Bulgarian students have the second highest results on SAT.[246][247] According to
Mensa tests conducted in 2004, the most clever woman (among the smartest people) is
determined Bulgarian Daniela Simidchieva who achieves IQ of 200.[248]

Infrastructure

Main articles: Energy in Bulgaria and Transport in Bulgaria

Trakia motorway

Bulgaria's strategic geographic location and well-developed energy sector make it a key
European energy centre despite its lack of significant fossil fuel deposits.[249] Nearly 34 percent
of its electricity is produced by the nuclear power station at Kozloduy[250] and public opinion
strongly supports nuclear energy development.[251] The rapid expansion of alternative energy
sources such as wind and solar power stations[252] make Bulgaria one of the fastest-growing wind
energy producers in the world.[253] The country aims to produce 16 percent of its electricity from
renewable energy sources by 2020.[254]

The national road network has a total length of 40,231 kilometres (24,998 mi),[255] of which
39,587 kilometres (24,598 mi) are paved, but nearly half fall into the lowest international rating
for paved roads.[243] Railroads are a major mode of freight transportation, although highways
carry a progressively larger share of freight. Bulgaria has 6,238 kilometres (3,876 mi) of railway
track[243] and currently a total of 81 km of high-speed lines are in operation.[256][257][258][259] Rail
links are available with Romania, Turkey, Greece, and Serbia, and express trains serve direct
routes to Kiev, Minsk, Moscow and Saint Petersburg.[260] Sofia and Plovdiv are the country's air
travel hubs, while Varna and Burgas are the principal maritime trade ports.[243] Varna is also
scheduled to be the first station on EU territory to receive natural gas through the South Stream
pipeline.[261]

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Bulgaria

The population of Bulgaria is 7,364,570 people according to the 2011 national census. The
majority of the population, or 72.5 per cent, reside in urban areas;[262] approximately one-sixth of
the total population is concentrated in Sofia.[263][264] Bulgarians are the main ethnic group and
comprise 84.8 per cent of the population. Turkish and Roma minorities comprise 8.8 and 4.9 per
cent, respectively; some 40 smaller minorities comprise 0.7 per cent, and 0.8 per cent do not self-
identify with an ethnic group.[1]
 Distribution of languages of Bulgaria (2001)[265]
Bulgarian 84.5%
Turkish 9.6%
Roma (Gypsy) 4.1%
others 0.9%
undeclared 0.9%

All ethnic groups speak Bulgarian, either as a first or as a second language. Bulgarian is the only
language with official status and native for 85.2 per cent of the population. The oldest written
Slavic language, Bulgarian is distinguishable from the other languages in this group through
certain grammatical peculiarities such as the lack of noun cases and infinitives, and a suffixed
definite article.[266][267]

Government estimates from 2003 put the literacy rate at 98.6 per cent, with no significant
difference between the sexes. Educational standards have been traditionally high,[268] although
still far from European benchmarks and in continuing deterioration for the past decade.[269]
Bulgarian students were among the highest-scoring in the world in terms of reading in 2001,
performing better than their Canadian and German counterparts; by 2006, scores in reading,
math and science had deteriorated. State expenditures for education are far below the European
Union average.[269] The Ministry of Education, Youth and Science partially funds public schools,
colleges and universities, sets criteria for textbooks and oversees the publishing process.[270] The
State provides free education in primary and secondary public schools.[268] The educational
process spans through 12 grades, where grades one through eight are primary and nine through
twelve are secondary level.[270] High schools can be technical, vocational, general or specialised
in a certain discipline, while higher education consists of a 4-year bachelor degree and a 1-year
master's degree.[271]

Bulgarian Orthodox Theophany Crucession

The Constitution of Bulgaria defines it as a secular state with guaranteed religious freedom, but
designates Orthodoxy as a "traditional" religion.[272] The Bulgarian Orthodox Church gained
autocephalous status in 927 AD,[273][274] and currently has 12 dioceses and over 2,000 priests.[275]
More than three-quarters of Bulgarians subscribe to Eastern Orthodoxy.[276] Sunni Muslims are
the second-largest community and constitute 10 per cent of the religious makeup, although a
majority of them do not pray and find the use of Islamic veils in schools unacceptable.[277] Less
than three per cent are affiliated with other religions, 11.8 per cent do not self-identify with a
religion and 21.8 per cent refused to state their beliefs.[276]
Bulgaria has a universal healthcare system financed by taxes and contributions.[278] The National
Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) pays a gradually increasing portion of the costs of primary
healthcare.[279] Projected healthcare expenditures for 2013 amount to 4.1 per cent of GDP.[280]
The number of doctors is above the EU average with 181 physicians per 100,000 people,[281] but
distribution by fields of practice is uneven, there is a severe shortage of nurses and other medical
personnel, and the quality of most medical facilities is poor.[282] Personnel shortages in some
fields are so severe that patients resort to seeking treatment in neighboring countries.[283]
Bulgaria ranks 113th globally by average life expectancy, which stands at 73.6 years for both
genders.[284] The primary causes of death are similar to those in other industrialised countries,
mainly cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms and respiratory diseases.[278]

Bulgaria is in a state of demographic crisis.[285][286] It has had negative population growth since
the early 1990s, when the economic collapse caused a long-lasting emigration wave.[287] Some
937,000 to 1,200,000 peoplemostly young adultsleft the country by 2005.[287][288] The total
fertility rate (TFR) was estimated in 2013 at 1.43 children born/woman, which is below the
replacement rate of 2.1.[289] A third of all households consist of only one person and 75.5 per cent
of families do not have children under the age of 16.[286] Consequently, population growth and
birth rates are among the lowest in the world[290][291] while death rates are among the highest.[292]
The majority of children are born to unmarried women (of all births 57.4 per cent were outside
marriage in 2012).[293]

v
t
e

Largest cities or towns in Bulgaria

2011 Census[294]
Ran Provin Ran
Name Pop. Name Province Pop.
k ce k
Sofia- 1,204,6 80,19
1 Sofia 11 Pernik Pernik
Capital 85 1
Plovdi 76,39
2 Plovdiv 338,153 12 Haskovo Haskovo
v 7
74,13
3 Varna Varna 334,870 13 Yambol Yambol
Sofia 2
Burga Pazardzhi Pazardzhi 71,97 Varna
4 Burgas 200,271 14
s k k 9
Blagoevgr Blagoevgr 70,88
5 Ruse Ruse 149,642 15
ad ad 1
Burgas
6 Stara Stara 138,272 16 Veliko Veliko 68,78
 Plovdiv Zagor Zagora Tarnovo Tarnovo 3
a
60,69
7 Pleven Pleven 106,954 17 Vratsa Vratsa
2
58,95
8 Sliven Sliven 91,620 18 Gabrovo Gabrovo
0
Dobri Dobric Asenovgr 50,84
9 91,030 19 Plovdiv
ch h ad 6
Shum Shume 48,07
10 80,855 20 Vidin Vidin
en n 1

Culture
Main article: Culture of Bulgaria

Thracian golden wreath in the National Historical Museum

Bulgarian folk dancers and musicians in traditional attire

Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila

Mavrud - the most famous Bulgarian red wine

Traditional Bulgarian culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with
Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Persian and Celtic influences.[295][296][297] Nine historical and natural
objects have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Madara Rider, the
Thracian tombs in Sveshtari and Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery, the Rock-
hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Pirin National Park, Sreburna Nature Reserve and the ancient city of
Nesebar.[298] Nestinarstvo, a ritual fire-dance of Thracian origin,[299] is included in the list of
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.[300] Fire is an essential element of Bulgarian folklore,
used to banish evil spirits and diseases. Bulgarian folklore personifies illnesses as witches and
has a wide range of creatures, including lamya, samodiva (veela) and karakondzhul.[301] Some of
the customs and rituals against these spirits have survived and are still practised, most notably
the kukeri and survakari.[302] Martenitsa is also widely celebrated.[303]

Slavic culture was centred in both the First and Second Bulgarian Empires during much of the
Middle Ages. The Preslav, Ohrid and Tarnovo literary schools exerted considerable cultural
influence over the Eastern Orthodox world.[304][305][306] Many languages in Eastern Europe and
Asia use Cyrillic script, which originated in the Preslav Literary School around the 9th
century.[307] The medieval advancement in the arts and letters ended with the Ottoman conquest
when many masterpieces were destroyed, and artistic activities did not re-emerge until the
National Revival in the 19th century.[308] After the Liberation, Bulgarian literature quickly
adopted European literary styles such as Romanticism and Symbolism. Since the beginning of
the 20th century, several Bulgarian authors, such as Ivan Vazov, Pencho Slaveykov, Peyo
Yavorov, Yordan Radichkov and Tzvetan Todorov have gained prominence.[309][310] In 1981
Bulgarian-born writer Elias Canetti was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.[311]
Bulgarian folk music is by far the most extensive traditional art and has slowly developed
throughout the ages as a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. It contains Far Eastern,
Oriental, medieval Eastern Orthodox and standard Western European tonalities and modes.[312]
The music has a distinctive sound and uses a wide range of traditional instruments, such as
gadulka, gaida (bagpipe), kaval and tupan. One of its most distinguishing features is extended
rhythmical time, which has no equivalent in the rest of European music.[13] The State Television
Female Vocal Choir is the most famous performing folk ensemble, and received a Grammy
Award in 1990.[313] Bulgaria's written musical composition can be traced back to the early
Middle Ages and the works of Yoan Kukuzel (c. 12801360).[314] Classical music, opera and
ballet are represented by composers Emanuil Manolov, Pancho Vladigerov and Georgi Atanasov
and singers Ghena Dimitrova, Boris Hristov and Nikolay Gyaurov.[315][316][317][318][319] Bulgarian
performers have gained popularity in several other genres like progressive rock (FSB),
electropop (Mira Aroyo) and jazz (Milcho Leviev).

The religious visual arts heritage includes frescoes, murals and icons, many produced by the
medieval Tarnovo Artistic School.[320] Vladimir Dimitrov, Nikolay Diulgheroff and Christo are
some of the most famous modern Bulgarian artists.[308] Film industry remains weak: in 2010,
Bulgaria produced three feature films and two documentaries with public funding. Cultural
events are advertised in the largest media outlets, including the Bulgarian National Radio, and
daily newspapers Dneven Trud, Dnevnik and 24 Chasa.[321]

While major sections of Bulgaria's media are controlled by state entities, including Bulgarian
National Television, the Bulgarian National Radio, and the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency,
reporting is generally deemed to be unbiased by direct government interference, although there is
no specific legislation to maintain this.[322] Written media has no legal restrictions,[323] and a large
number of private television and radio stations also exist. Despite this, traditional Bulgarian
media outlets are experiencing negative economic and political pressures, and instances of self-
censorship have emerged. Meanwhile, internet media is growing in popularity due to its lack of
censorship and the diversity of content and opinions it presents.[324]

Bulgarian cuisine is similar to those of other Balkan countries and demonstrates a strong Turkish
and Greek influence.[325] Yogurt, lukanka, banitsa, shopska salad, lyutenitsa and kozunak are
among the best-known local foods. Oriental dishes such as moussaka, gyuvech, and baklava are
also present. Meat consumption is lower than the European average, given a notable preference
for a large variety of salads.[325] Rakia is a traditional fruit brandy which was consumed in
Bulgaria as early as the 14th century.[326] Bulgarian wine is known for its Traminer, Muskat and
Mavrud types, of which up to 200,000 tonnes are produced annually.[327][328] Until 1989, Bulgaria
was the world's second-largest wine exporter.[329]

UNESCO World Heritage

Boyana Church
Madara Rider
Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak
Nesebar
Rila Monastery
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
Pirin National Park
Srebarna Reserve
UNSECO World Heritage cultural sights in Bulgaria
: Natural site
: Cultural site

Cultural

Boyana Church (1979)

Madara Rider (1979)
Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo (1979)
Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (1979)
Ancient City of Nesebar (1983)
Rila Monastery (1983)
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (1985)

Natural

Pirin National Park (1983)

Srebarna Nature Reserve (1983)

Sports

Main article: Sport in Bulgaria

Bulgaria performs well in sports such as wrestling, weight-lifting, boxing, gymnastics,

volleyball, football and tennis.[330] The country fields one of the leading men's volleyball teams,
ranked sixth in the world according to the 2013 FIVB rankings.[331] Football is by far the most
popular sport.[330] Some famous players are AS Monaco forward Dimitar Berbatov and Hristo
Stoichkov, winner of the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball and the most successful Bulgarian
player of all time.[332] Prominent domestic clubs include PFC CSKA Sofia[333][334] and PFC
Levski Sofia. The best performance of the national team at FIFA World Cup finals came in 1994,
when it advanced to the semi-finals by defeating consecutively Greece, Argentina, Mexico and
Germany, finishing fourth.[330] Bulgaria has participated in most Olympic competitions since its
first appearance at the 1896 games, when it was represented by Charles Champaud.[335] The
country has won a total of 218 medals: 52 gold, 86 silver, and 80 bronze,[336] which puts it in
24th place in the all-time ranking.

Stefka Kostadinova is the reigning world record holder in the women's high jump at 2.09 m,
which she jumped during the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome. Her world
record is one of the oldest in modern athletics. Altogether Kostadinova set seven world records -
three outdoors and four indoors. She also holds the women's world record for having jumped
over 2.00 m 197 times.

Yordanka Donkova is a former hurdling athlete, notable for winning an Olympic gold medal and
bronze medal as well as 9 medals at European indoor and outdoor championships. Donkova set
four 100 m hurdles world records in 1986. Her fifth world record, a time of 12.21 set in 1988,
stood until 2016.

Petar Stoychev is a long distance marathon swimmer who set a new swimming world record for
crossing the English Channel in 2007.

Maria Gigova and Maria Petrova have each held a record of three world-titles in rhythmic
gymnastics.

Kaloyan Mahlyanov ( ), known as Kotosh Katsunori is a former

professional sumo wrestler who became the first European to earn the title ozeki in Japan.

Veselin Topalov became FIDE World Chess Champion by winning the FIDE World Chess
Championship 2005. He lost his title in the World Chess Championship 2006 against Vladimir
Kramnik.

Bulgaria national volleyball team has regularly featured in the Top 10, and has earned silver
medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics, the 1970 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship
and the 1951 European Championship, as well as numerous bronze medals, including at the 2007
World Cup in Japan.

See also
Outline of Bulgaria
International rankings of Bulgaria
List of twin towns and sister cities in Bulgaria

Footnotes
1.
 19 February in the Julian calendar used at the time.

2. 22 September in the Julian calendar used at the time.

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European Commission. 2011. p. 2. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
"Bulgaria Opens Tender for Fourth Mobile Operator". Novinite. 3 October 2011. Retrieved
20 December 2011.
http://www.outsourcingmonitor.eu/articles/outsourcing-to-bulgaria.html
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
[1]
 "Energy Hub". Oxford Business Group. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"About the plant" (in Bulgarian). AETs Kozloduy EAD. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Country profile: Bulgaria". ENS News (11). 2006. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"EU Energy factsheet about Bulgaria" (PDF). European Commission. Archived from the
original (PDF) on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Bulgaria set for massive growth in wind power". European Wind Energy Association.
2010. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"AES wind farm kicks off in Bulgaria". PhysOrg. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 20 December
2011.
"World rankings by total road length". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"The trains from Plovdiv to Dimitrovgrad now with 160 km/h". Dariknews. Retrieved 1 July
2012.
"Bulgaria to Turkey wiring underway". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 11 May
2012.
"Bozhkov is building the "Maritsa" high-speed rail line". Standart (in Bulgarian). Retrieved
11 May 2012.
"The Plovdiv-Burgas train will travel with 200 km/h" (in Bulgarian). Snews.bg. Retrieved
11 May 2012.
"Trains in Bulgaria". EuRail. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
"South Stream's Russian gas for Europe". RIA Novosti. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 1 May
2012.
NSI Census data 2011, p. 3.
NSI Census data 2011, p. 7.
NSI Census data 2011, p. 12.
"Population by mother tongue". NSI.
Paul Robert Magocsi (1999). Encyclopedia of Canada's peoples. University of Toronto
Press. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
James David Bourchier (1911). "Bulgaria Language". Encyclopdia Britannica 1911.
Retrieved 4 December 2011.
Library of Congress 2006, p. 6.
"Education in Bulgaria" (PDF). 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
"Bulgaria Educational Systemoverview". U.S. University Directory. Retrieved 4
December 2011.
"Structure of the Education System in Bulgaria". Ministry of Education, Youth and Science
of Bulgaria. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
"The Bulgarian Constitution". Parliament of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Kiminas, D. (2009). The Ecumenical Patriarchate. Wildside Press LLC. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-
4344-5876-6. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Carvalho, Joaquim (2007). Religion and power in Europe: conflict and convergence. Pisa
University Press. p. 257. ISBN 978-88-8492-464-3. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Bulgarian Orthodox Church". Encyclopdia Britannica. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
NSI Census data 2011, p. 5.
"Bulgaria's Muslims not deeply religious: study". Hrriyet Daily News. Agence France-
Presse. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
 Georgieva, Lidia; Salchev, Petko (2007). "Bulgaria Health system review" (PDF). Health
Systems in Transition. European observatory on health systems and policies. 9 (1): xvi, 12.
Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Library of Congress 2006, p. 7.
"Budget 2013 sets 4.1 % of GDP for healthcare" (in Bulgarian). Investor. 4 October 2012.
Retrieved 8 April 2013.
"Bulgaria has one of the EU's highest hospital coefficient" (in Bulgarian). Econ Online
Magazine. 17 February 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"The Bulgaria 2011 Review: Health and Healthcare". Novinite. 6 January 2012. Retrieved
20 January 2012.
"The Bulgaria 2012 Review: Health and Healthcare". Novinite. 7 January 2013. Retrieved
21 February 2013.
"Life expectancy at birth rankings". Central Intelligence Agency. 2011. Retrieved 20
December 2011.
"World Bank: The demographic crisis is Bulgaria's most serious problem". Klassa. 15
November 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
"Demographic crisis in Bulgaria deepening". Bulgarian National Radio. 12 March 2012.
Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
"Will EU Entry Shrink Bulgaria's Population Even More?". Deutsche Welle. 26 December
2006. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
Roth, Klaus; Lauth Bacas, Jutta (2004). Migration In, From, and to Southeastern Europe.
The British Library. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"The World Factbook". Cia.gov. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
"Country Comparison :: Population growth rate". Central Intelligence Agency. 2012.
Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Birth rates by country". Central Intelligence Agency. 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
"Death rates by country". Central Intelligence Agency. 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
"Eurostat - Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table". Epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu.
17 October 2013. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
http://www.nsi.bg/EPDOCS/Census2011final.pdf
"Bulgaria's Gold Rush". National Geographic Magazine. December 2006. Retrieved 22
December 2011.
Koch, John T. (2006). Celtic culture: A historical encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 156. ISBN 1-
85109-440-7. Retrieved 20 December 2011. Their influence in Thrace (roughly modern Bulgaria
and European Turkey) is very modest, with only occasional samples of armour and jewellery, but
they established a kingdom known as Tylis (alternatively Tyle) on the Thracian coast of the
Black Sea.
hgin, Dith (2002). The Celts: A history. The Collins Press. p. 50. ISBN 0-85115-923-
0. Retrieved 20 December 2011. This, however, had little effect on the Celts, who within some
years reached as far as Bulgaria. There, in 298 BC, a large body of them clashed with
Cassander's army on the slopes of Mount Haemos. ... The power of the Thracians had been
reduced by the Macedonians, and now much of the area fell into Celtic hands. Many placenames
of that area in ancient times bear witness to the presence of Celtic strongholds
"Bulgaria Profile". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
 MacDermott, Mercia (1998). Bulgarian Folk Customs. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. p. 226.
ISBN 1-85302-485-6. Retrieved 20 December 2011. While dancing round fires and jumping over
fires forms part of many Slav customs, dancing on fire does not, and it is therefore likely that
nestinarstvo was inherited by the Bulgarians from the Hellenized Thracians who inhabited the
land before them.
"Nestinarstvo, messages from the past: the Panagyr of Saints Constantine and Helena in the
village of Bulgari". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
MacDermott, Mercia (1998). Bulgarian folk customs. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. 65
70. ISBN 1-85302-485-6. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
Creed, Gerald W. (2011). Masquerade and Postsocialism: Ritual and Cultural
Dispossession in Bulgaria. Indiana University Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-253-22261-9.
"The Martenitsa Story". The Sofia Echo. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
Giatzidis, Emil (2002). An Introduction to post-Communist Bulgaria: Political, economic
and social transformation. Manchester University Press. p. 11. ISBN 0-7190-6094-X. Retrieved
20 December 2011. Thus, with its early emphasis on Christian Orthodox scholarship, Bulgaria
became the first major centre of Slavic culture
Riha, Thomas (1964). Readings in Russian Civilization. University of Chicago press. p. 214.
ISBN 0-226-71853-0. Retrieved 20 December 2011. And it was mainly from Bulgaria that a rich
supply of literary monuments was transferred to Kiev and other centres.
McNeill, William Hardy (1963). The Rise of the West. The University of Chicago Press.
p. 49. ISBN 0-226-56141-0. Retrieved 20 December 2011. Accordingly, when Bulgaria was
converted to Christianity (after 865), bringing massive Slavic-speaking populations within the
pale of Christendom, a new literary language, Old Church Slavonic, directly based upon
Bulgarian speech, developed for their use.
Ertl, Alan W (2008). Toward understanding Europe: A political prcis of continental
integration. Universal Publishers, Inc. p. 436. ISBN 1-59942-983-7. Retrieved 20 December
2011. At the beginning of the 10th century a new alphabet the Cyrillic alphabet was
developed on the basis of Greek and Glagolitic cursive at the Preslav Literary School.
"Bulgaria The arts". Encyclopdia Britannica. 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011. The
early impetus of Bulgarian traditions in the arts was cut short by the Ottoman occupation in the
14th century, and many early masterpieces were destroyed. ... the foundations were laid for later
artists such as Vladimir Dimitrov, an extremely gifted painter specializing in the rural scenes of
his native country ... At the beginning of the 21st century, the best-known contemporary
Bulgarian artist was Christo, an environmental sculptor known for wrapping famous structures
"Bulgaria The arts". Encyclopdia Britannica. 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
World classics and modern foreign dramas are typically produced, as well as both modern and
traditional Bulgarian plays, including those by Ivan Vazov and poet Peyo Yavorov ... These
included poets such as Pencho Slaveykov, Yavorov, and Dimcho Debelyanov ... More recent
authors of note include poet Atanas Slavov, Yordan Radichkov, and Blaga Dimitrova.
"French-Bulgarian Theorist Tzvetan Todorov Wins Top Spanish Award". Novinite. 18 June
2008. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Lorenz, Dagmar C. G. (17 April 2004). "Elias Canetti". Literary Encyclopedia. The Literary
Dictionary Company Limited. ISSN 1747-678X. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Kremenliev, Boris A. (1952). Bulgarian-Macedonian Folk Music. University of California
Press. p. 52. Retrieved 20 December 2011. Bulgaria's scales are numerous, and it may be
demonstrated that they are a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. ... first, Oriental scales;
second, church modes: the osmoglasie ... third, the conventional scales of Western Europe. ...
Among the scales which have comes to the Balkans from Asia, the pentatonic is one of the most
widely used in Bulgaria. Whether it came from China or Japan, as Dobri Hristov suggests
"32nd Grammy Awards Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
Lang, David Marshall (1976). The Bulgarians: from pagan times to the Ottoman conquest.
Westview Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-89158-530-5. John Kukuzel, the eminent Bulgarian/born
reformer of Byzantine music.
"The 2011/2012 season of the National Opera and Ballet House". Bulgarian National
Radio. 25 October 2011. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 20 December
2011.
"Obituary: Ghena Dimitrova". The Telegraph. 13 June 2005. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Forbes, Elizabeth (29 June 1993). "Obituary: Boris Christoff". The Independent. Retrieved
20 December 2011.
Kozinn, Allan (29 June 1993). "Boris Christoff, Bass, Dies at 79; Esteemed for His Boris
Godunov". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Nicolai Ghiaurov, Operatic Bass, Dies at 74". The New York Times. 3 June 2004.
Retrieved 13 December 2013.
Grabar, Andr (1928). La peinture religiouse en Bulgarie. P. Geuthner. p. 95.ASIN:
B005ZI4OV8
"Media Landscape Bulgaria". European Journalism Centreaccessdate=2 May 2014.
Library of Congress Federal Research Division (October 2006). "Country Profile:
Bulgaria" (PDF). Library of Congress. pp. 18, 23. Retrieved 4 September 2009. Mass Media: In
2006 Bulgaria's print and broadcast media generally were considered unbiased, although the
government dominated broadcasting through the state-owned Bulgarian National Television
(BNT) and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and print news dissemination through the largest
press agency, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. [...]Human Rights: In the early 2000s, Bulgaria
generally has been rated highly on the issue of human rights. However, some exceptions exist.
Although the media have a record of unbiased reporting, Bulgaria's lack of specific legislation
protecting the media from state interference is a theoretical weakness.
Media Landscape Bulgaria, European Journalism Centre Archived 22 July 2010 at the
Wayback Machine.
Footprint of Financial Crisis in the Media, Bulgaria Country Report, Open Society Institute,
December 2009 Archived 3 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
Albala, Ken (2011). Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 61, 62.
ISBN 978-0-313-37626-9. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Archeological Find Proves Rakia Is Bulgarian Invention". Novinite. 10 October 2011.
Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"The Russians bought 81 mln. litres of Bulgarian wine". Investor Group BG. Retrieved 15
April 2010.
"The Bulgarian Table, from Sudjuk to Shopska". Novinite. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 20
December 2011.
"Bulgaria Bounces Back". Novinite. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
"Bulgaria- Sport and recreation". Encyclopdia Britannica. 2011. Retrieved 20 December
2011. In international sports competition, Bulgarians have excelled in tennis, wrestling, boxing,
and gymnastics, but the country's greatest repute may be in weight-lifting. ... Fans of football
(soccer), the most popular sport in Bulgaria, were buoyed by the success of the national team in
the 1994 World Cup, when it advanced to the semi-final match under the leadership of forward
Hristo Stoichkov. The premier league in Bulgaria has 16 teams, of which four play in Sofia:
CSKA, Levski, Slavia, and Lokomotiv.
"FIVB official rankings as per October 7, 2013". International Volleyball Federation
(FIVB). 7 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
"Hristo Stoichkov Bulgarian League Ambassador". Professional Football Against
Hunger. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
"Rankings of A Group". BgClubs. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Ingo Faulhaber. "Best club of 20th century ranking at the official site of the International
Federation of Football History and Statistics". Iffhs.de. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Athens 1896". Bulgarian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 28 September
2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.

336. "Bulgaria". Official website of the Olympic movement. Retrieved 4 December

2011.

Bibliography
"2011 census of Bulgaria" (PDF) (in Bulgarian). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria.
2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Chary, Frederick B. The History of Bulgaria (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern
Nations) (2011) excerpt and text search
Crampton, R. J. A Concise History of Bulgaria (2005) Cambridge, UK; New York:
Cambridge University Press ISBN 978-0-521-61637-9
Bell, John D., ed. (1998). Bulgaria in Transition: Politics, Economics, Society, and
Culture after Communism. Westview. ISBN 978-0-8133-9010-9
Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2011) Lost in Transition: Ethnographies of Everyday Life After
Communism. Duke University Press.
Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2010) Muslim Lives in Eastern Europe: Gender, Ethnicity and the
Transformation of Islam in Postsocialist Bulgaria. Princeton University Press.
Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2005) The Red Riviera: Gender, Tourism and Postsocialism on the
Black Sea. Duke University Press.
"Country Profile: Bulgaria" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies. Library of
Congress. 2006. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
Curtis, Glenn E.; Mitova, Pamela; Marsteller, William; Soper, Karl Wheeler (1993)
[1992 research]. "Country Study: Bulgaria". Library of Congress Country Studies.
Library of Congress. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "Historical Setting". Chapter 1. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "The First Golden Age". Chapter 1. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
o "The Final Move to Independence". The Bulgarian Independence Movement.
Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "San Stefano, Berlin, and Independence". The Bulgarian Independence
Movement. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "Bulgaria in World War II: The Passive Alliance". World War II. Retrieved 4
December 2011.
 o "Wartime Crisis". World War II. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "After Stalin". Communist Consolidation. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
o "Domestic Policy and Its Results". Communist Consolidation. Retrieved 4
December 2011.
o "Foreign Affairs in the 1960s and 1970s". The Zhivkov Era. Retrieved 4
December 2011.
o "The Political Atmosphere in the 1970s". The Zhivkov Era. Retrieved 4 December
2011.
o "Topography". The Society and its Environment. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "Climate". The Society and its Environment. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "The Economy". Chapter 3. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "Resource Base". The Economy. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "Government and Politics". Chapter 4. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "Arms Sales". National Security. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "Military Personnel". National Security. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
o Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (2011). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia.
John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-14-4435-163-7.

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vvvvvvvvvv
Bulgaria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the country. For other uses, see Bulgaria (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 4245N 2530E

The template Infobox country is being considered for merging.

Republic of Bulgaria

Republika Blgariya (Bulgarian)

Flag Coat of arms

Motto:

(Bulgarian)
"Sedinenieto pravi silata" (transliteration)
"Unity makes strength"

Anthem:
(Bulgarian)
Mila Rodino (transliteration)
Dear Motherland

Menu
0:00

Location of Bulgaria (dark green)

in Europe (green & dark grey)

 in the European Union (green) [Legend]

Capital Sofia
and largest city 4241N 2319E
Official languages Bulgarian
Official script Cyrillic
84.8% Bulgarians
8.8% Turks
Ethnic groups (2011[1]) 4.9% Roma
1.5% others

Demonym Bulgarian
Unitary parliamentary
Government
republic
President Rosen Plevneliev
Vice President Margarita Popova
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov
Speaker of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva
Legislature National Assembly
Formation
First Bulgarian Empire 6801018
Second Bulgarian Empire 11851422
Principality of Bulgaria 3 March 1878[note 1]
Declaration of Independence from
5 October 1908[note 2]
the Ottoman Empire
Current constitution 13 July 1991
European Union accession 1 January 2007
Area
110,994 km2
Total
(42,855 sq mi) (105th)
Water (%) 0.3
Population
2014 census 7,202,198[2] (101st)
64.9/km2 (168.1/sq mi)
Density
(95th)
GDP (PPP) 2016 estimate
Total $141.375 billion[3] (66th)
Per capita $19,839 (67th)
GDP (nominal) 2016 estimate
Total $48.957 billion[3] (75th)
Per capita $6,927 (76th)
37[4]
Gini (2015)
medium
0.782[5]
HDI (2014)
high 59th
 Currency Lev (BGN)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Drives on the right
Calling code +359
ISO 3166 code BG
Internet TLD .bg

Bulgaria ( i/blri, bl-/; Bulgarian: , tr. Blgariya), officially the Republic of

Bulgaria (Bulgarian: , tr. Republika Blgariya, pronounced [rpublik
barij]), is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia
and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. With a
territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country.

Organised prehistoric cultures began developing on current Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic
period. Its ancient history saw the presence of the Thracians, Greeks and Romans. The
emergence of a unified Bulgarian state dates back to the establishment of the First Bulgarian
Empire in 681 AD, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for
Slavs during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its
territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877
78 led to the formation of the Third Bulgarian State. The following years saw several conflicts
with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both world wars. In
1946 it became a one-party socialist state as part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. In December
1989 the ruling Communist Party allowed multi-party elections, which subsequently led to
Bulgaria's transition into a democracy and a market-based economy.

Bulgaria's population of 7.4 million people is predominantly urbanised and mainly concentrated
in the administrative centres of its 28 provinces. Most commercial and cultural activities are
centred on the capital and largest city, Sofia. The strongest sectors of the economy are heavy
industry, power engineering, and agriculture, all of which rely on local natural resources.

The country's current political structure dates to the adoption of a democratic constitution in
1991. Bulgaria is a unitary parliamentary republic with a high degree of political, administrative,
and economic centralisation. It is a member of the European Union, NATO, and the Council of
Europe; a founding state of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE);
and has taken a seat at the UN Security Council three times.

Contents
1 History
o 1.1 Prehistory and antiquity
o 1.2 First Bulgarian Empire
o 1.3 Second Bulgarian Empire
o 1.4 Ottoman rule
o 1.5 Third Bulgarian state
 2 Geography
o 2.1 Environment
o 2.2 Biodiversity
3 Politics
o 3.1 Administrative divisions
o 3.2 Foreign relations
o 3.3 Military
4 Economy
o 4.1 Science and technology
4.1.1 Miscellaneous
o 4.2 Infrastructure
5 Demographics
6 Culture
o 6.1 UNESCO World Heritage
6.1.1 Cultural
6.1.2 Natural
o 6.2 Sports
7 See also
8 Footnotes
9 References
10 Bibliography
11 External links

History
Main article: History of Bulgaria

Prehistory and antiquity

Further information: Neolithic Europe, Odrysian kingdom, Thracians, and Slavs

Human activity in the lands of modern Bulgaria can be traced back to the Paleolithic. Animal
bones incised with man-made markings from Kozarnika cave are assumed to be the earliest
examples of symbolic behaviour in humans.[6] Organised prehistoric societies in Bulgarian lands
include the Neolithic Hamangia culture,[7] Vina culture[8] and the eneolithic Varna culture (fifth
millennium BC). The latter is credited with inventing gold working and exploitation.[9][10] Some
of these first gold smelters produced the coins, weapons and jewellery of the Varna Necropolis
treasure, the oldest in the world with an approximate age of over 6,000 years.[11] This site also
offers insights for understanding the social hierarchy of the earliest European societies.[12][13]

Thracians, one of the three primary ancestral groups of modern Bulgarians,[14] began appearing
in the region during the Iron Age.[15] In the late 6th century BC, the Persians conquered most of
present-day Bulgaria.[16][17][18] and kept it until 479 BC.[18] With influence from the Persians,[19]
the bulk of the Thracian tribes were united in the Odrysian kingdom in the 470s BC by king
Teres,[20][21][22] but were later subjugated by Alexander the Great and by the Romans in 46 AD.
After the division of the Roman Empire in the 5th century the area fell under Byzantine control.
By this time, Christianity had already spread in the region. A small Gothic community in
Nicopolis ad Istrum produced the first Germanic language book in the 4th century, the Wulfila
Bible.[23][24] The first Christian monastery in Europe was established around the same time by
Saint Athanasius in central Bulgaria.[25] From the 6th century the easternmost South Slavs
gradually settled in the region, assimilating the Hellenised or Romanised Thracians.[26][27]

First Bulgarian Empire

Main article: First Bulgarian Empire

Khan Krum feasts with his nobles after the battle of Pliska. His servant (far right) brings the
wine-filled skull cup of Nicephorus I.

In 680 Bulgar tribes[14] under the leadership of Asparukh moved south across the Danube and
settled in the area between the lower Danube and the Balkan, establishing their capital at
Pliska.[28][29] A peace treaty with Byzantium in 681 marked the beginning of the First Bulgarian
Empire. The Bulgars gradually mixed up with the local population, adopting a common language
on the basis of the local Slavic dialect.[30]

Succeeding rulers strengthened the Bulgarian state throughout the 8th and 9th centuries. Krum
doubled the country's territory, killed Byzantine emperor Nicephorus I in the Battle of Pliska,[31]
and introduced the first written code of law. Paganism was abolished in favour of Eastern
Orthodox Christianity under Boris I in 864. This conversion was followed by a Byzantine
recognition of the Bulgarian church[32] and the adoption of the Cyrillic alphabet developed at
Preslav[33] which strengthened central authority and helped fuse the Slavs and Bulgars into a
unified people.[34][35] A subsequent cultural golden age began during the 34-year rule of Simeon
the Great, who also achieved the largest territorial expansion of the state.[36]

Wars with Magyars and Pechenegs and the spread of the Bogomil heresy weakened Bulgaria
after Simeon's death.[37][38] Consecutive Rus' and Byzantine invasions resulted in the seizure of
the capital Preslav by the Byzantine army in 971.[39] Under Samuil, Bulgaria briefly recovered
from these attacks,[40] but this rise ended when Byzantine emperor Basil II defeated the
Bulgarian army at Klyuch in 1014. Samuil died shortly after the battle,[41] and by 1018 the
Byzantines had ended the First Bulgarian Empire.[42]

Second Bulgarian Empire

Main article: Second Bulgarian Empire

After his conquest of Bulgaria, Basil II prevented revolts and discontent by retaining the rule of
the local nobility and by relieving the newly conquered lands of the obligation to pay taxes in
gold, allowing them to be paid in kind instead.[43] He also allowed the Bulgarian Patriarchate to
retain its autocephalous status and all its dioceses, but reduced it to an archbishopric.[43][44] After
his death Byzantine domestic policies changed and a series of unsuccessful rebellions broke out,
the largest being led by Peter Delyan. In 1185 Asen dynasty nobles Ivan Asen I and Peter IV
organised a major uprising which resulted in the re-establishment of the Bulgarian state. Ivan
Asen and Peter laid the foundations of the Second Bulgarian Empire with Tarnovo as the
capital.[45]

The walls of Tsarevets fortress in Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of the second empire

Kaloyan, the third of the Asen monarchs, extended his dominion to Belgrade and Ohrid. He
acknowledged the spiritual supremacy of the pope and received a royal crown from a papal
legate.[46] The empire reached its zenith under Ivan Asen II (12181241), when commerce and
culture flourished.[46] The strong economic and religious influence of Tarnovo made it a "Third
Rome", unlike the already declining Constantinople.[47]

The country's military and economic might declined after the Asen dynasty ended in 1257,
facing internal conflicts, constant Byzantine and Hungarian attacks and Mongol
domination.[46][48] By the end of the 14th century, factional divisions between the feudal
landlords and the spread of Bogomilism had caused the Second Bulgarian Empire to split into
three tsardomsVidin, Tarnovo and Karvunaand several semi-independent principalities that
fought each other, along with Byzantines, Hungarians, Serbs, Venetians and Genoese. By the late
14th century the Ottoman Turks had started their conquest of Bulgaria and had taken most towns
and fortresses south of the Balkan mountains.[46]

Ottoman rule

Main article: Ottoman Bulgaria

Hristo Botev, a prominent revolutionary in the April Uprising

Tarnovo was captured by the Ottomans after a three-month siege in 1393. After the Battle of
Nicopolis in 1396 brought about the fall of the Vidin Tsardom, the Ottomans conquered all
Bulgarian lands south of the Danube. The nobility was eliminated and the peasantry was
enserfed to Ottoman masters,[49] with much of the educated clergy fleeing to other countries.[50]
Under the Ottoman system, Christians were considered an inferior class of people. Thus,
Bulgarians, like other Christians, were subjected to heavy taxes and a small portion of the
Bulgarian populace experienced partial or complete Islamisation,[51] and their culture was
suppressed.[50] Ottoman authorities established the Rum Millet, a religious administrative
community which governed all Orthodox Christians regardless of their ethnicity.[52] Most of the
local population gradually lost its distinct national consciousness, identifying as Christians.[53][54]
However, the clergy remaining in some isolated monasteries kept it alive, and that helped it to
survive as in some rural, remote areas,[55] as well as in the militant Catholic community in the
northwestern part of the country.[56]

Several Bulgarian revolts erupted throughout the nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule, most
notably the Habsburg-backed[57] Tarnovo uprisings in 1598 and in 1686, the Chiprovtsi Uprising
in 1688 and Karposh's Rebellion in 1689.[49] In the 18th century, the Enlightenment in Western
Europe provided influence for the initiation of a movement known as the National awakening of
Bulgaria.[49] It restored national consciousness and became a key factor in the liberation struggle,
resulting in the 1876 April Uprising. Up to 30,000 Bulgarians were killed as Ottoman authorities
put down the rebellion. The massacres prompted the Great Powers to take action.[58] They
convened the Constantinople Conference in 1876, but their decisions were rejected by the
Ottomans. This allowed the Russian Empire to seek a solution by force without risking military
confrontation with other Great Powers, as had happened in the Crimean War.[58] In 1877 Russia
declared war on the Ottoman Empire and defeated its forces with the help of Bulgarian
volunteers.
Third Bulgarian state

Main articles: History of Bulgaria (18781946), People's Republic of Bulgaria, and History of
Bulgaria since 1989

The Russian and Bulgarian defence of Shipka Pass was crucial for the independence of
Bulgaria.[59]

The Treaty of San Stefano was signed on 3 March 1878 by Russia and the Ottoman Empire, and
included a provision to set up an autonomous Bulgarian principality roughly on the territories of
the Second Bulgarian Empire.[60][61] The other Great Powers immediately rejected the treaty out
of fear that such a large country in the Balkans might threaten their interests. It was superseded
by the subsequent Treaty of Berlin, signed on 13 July, provided for a much smaller state
comprising Moesia and the region of Sofia, leaving large populations of Bulgarians outside the
new country.[60][62] This played a significant role in forming Bulgaria's militaristic approach to
foreign affairs during the first half of the 20th century.[63]

The Bulgarian principality won a war against Serbia and incorporated the semi-autonomous
Ottoman territory of Eastern Rumelia in 1885, proclaiming itself an independent state on 5
October 1908.[64] In the years following independence, Bulgaria increasingly militarised and was
often referred to as "the Balkan Prussia".[65][66]

Between 1912 and 1918, Bulgaria became involved in three consecutive conflictstwo Balkan
Wars and World War I. After a disastrous defeat in the Second Balkan War, Bulgaria again
found itself fighting on the losing side as a result of its alliance with the Central Powers in World
War I. Despite fielding more than a quarter of its population in a 1,200,000-strong army[67][68]
and achieving several decisive victories, at Doiran and Dobrich, the country capitulated in 1918.
The war resulted in significant territorial losses, and a total of 87,500 soldiers killed.[69] More
than 253,000 refugees immigrated to Bulgaria from 1912 to 1929 due to the effects of these
wars,[70] placing additional strain on the already ruined national economy.[71]

The political unrest resulting from these losses led to the establishment of a royal authoritarian
dictatorship by Tsar Boris III (19181943). Bulgaria entered World War II in 1941 as a member
of the Axis but declined to participate in Operation Barbarossa and saved its Jewish population
from deportation to concentration camps.[72] The sudden death of Boris III in the summer of 1943
pushed the country into political turmoil as the war turned against Germany and the communist
guerrilla movement gained momentum. The government of Bogdan Filov subsequently failed to
achieve peace with the Allies. Bulgaria did not comply with Soviet demands to expel German
forces from its territory, resulting in a declaration of war and an invasion by the USSR in
September 1944.[73] The communist-dominated Fatherland Front took power, ended participation
in the Axis and joined the Allied side until the war ended.[74]

Bulgarian soldiers with wire cutters during WWI

The left-wing uprising of 9 September 1944 led to the abolition of monarchic rule, but it was not
until 1946 that a one-party people's republic was established.[75] It became a part of the Soviet
sphere of influence under the leadership of Georgi Dimitrov (19461949), who laid the
foundations for a rapidly industrialising Stalinist state which was also highly repressive with
thousands of dissidents executed.[76][77][78] By the mid-1950s standards of living rose
significantly,[79] while political repressions were lessened.[80] By the 1980s both national and per
capita GDPs quadrupled,[81] but the economy remained prone to debt spikes, the most severe
taking place in 1960, 1977 and 1980.[82] The Soviet-style planned economy saw some market-
oriented policies emerging on an experimental level under Todor Zhivkov (19541989).[83] His
daughter Lyudmila bolstered national pride by promoting Bulgarian heritage, culture and arts
worldwide.[84] In an attempt to erase the identity of the ethnic Turk minority, an assimilation
campaign was launched in 1984 which included closing mosques and forcing ethnic Turks to
adopt Slavic names. These policies (combined with the end of communist rule in 1989) resulted
in the emigration of some 300,000 ethnic Turks to Turkey.[85][86]

Under the influence of the collapsing of the Eastern Bloc, on 10 November 1989 the Communist
Party gave up its political monopoly, Zhivkov resigned, and Bulgaria embarked on a transition to
a parliamentary democracy.[87] The first free elections in June 1990 were won by the Bulgarian
Socialist Party (BSP, the freshly renamed Communist Party).[88] A new constitution that provided
for a relatively weak elected president and for a prime minister accountable to the legislature was
adopted in July 1991. The new system initially failed to improve living standards or create
economic growththe average quality of life and economic performance remained lower than
under communism well into the early 2000s.[89] A 1997 reform package restored economic
growth, but living standards continued to suffer.[90] After 2001 economic, political and
geopolitical conditions improved greatly,[91] and Bulgaria achieved high Human Development
status.[92] It became a member of NATO in 2004[93] and participated in the War in Afghanistan.
After several years of reforms it joined the European Union in 2007 despite continued concerns
about government corruption.[94]

Geography
Main article: Geography of Bulgaria
Bulgaria occupies a portion of the eastern Balkan peninsula, bordering five countriesGreece
and Turkey to the south, Macedonia and Serbia to the west, and Romania to the north. The land
borders have a total length of 1,808 kilometres (1,123 mi), and the coastline has a length of 354
kilometres (220 mi).[95] Its total area of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi) ranks it as the
world's 105th-largest country.[96][97] Bulgaria's geographic coordinates are 43 N 25 E.[98]

The most notable topographical features are the Danubian Plain, the Balkan Mountains, the
Thracian Plain, and the Rhodope Mountains.[95] The southern edge of the Danubian Plain slopes
upward into the foothills of the Balkans, while the Danube defines the border with Romania. The
Thracian Plain is roughly triangular, beginning southeast of Sofia and broadening as it reaches
the Black Sea coast.[95]

Left: Pirin Mountain in western Bulgaria

Right: Maslen nos Primorsko on the Black Sea coast

The Balkan mountains run laterally through the middle of the country. The mountainous
southwest of the country has two alpine rangesRila and Pirin, which border the lower but more
extensive Rhodope Mountains to the east.[95] Bulgaria is home to the highest point of the Balkan
peninsula, Musala, at 2,925 metres (9,596 ft)[99] and its lowest point is sea level. Plains occupy
about one-third of the territory, while plateaus and hills occupy 41 per cent.[100] The country has
a dense network of about 540 rivers, most of which are relatively small and with low water
levels.[101] The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, has a length of 368
kilometres (229 mi). Other major rivers include the Struma and the Maritsa in the south.[95]

Bulgaria has a dynamic climate, which results from its being positioned at the meeting point of
Mediterranean and continental air masses and the barrier effect of its mountains.[95] Northern
Bulgaria averages 1 C (1.8 F) cooler and registers 200 millimetres (7.9 in) more precipitation
annually than the regions south of the Balkan mountains. Temperature amplitudes vary
significantly in different areas. The lowest recorded temperature is 38.3 C (36.9 F), while
the highest is 45.2 C (113.4 F).[102] Precipitation averages about 630 millimetres (24.8 in) per
year, and varies from 500 millimetres (19.7 in) in Dobrudja to more than 2,500 millimetres
(98.4 in) in the mountains. Continental air masses bring significant amounts of snowfall during
winter.[103]

Environment

Bulgaria adopted the Kyoto Protocol[104] and achieved the protocol's objectives by reducing
carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2009 by 30 percent.[105] However, pollution from
factories and metallurgy works and severe deforestation continue to cause major problems to the
health and welfare of the population.[106] In 2013, air pollution in Bulgaria was more severe than
any other European country.[107] Urban areas are particularly affected by energy production from
coal-based powerplants and automobile traffic,[108][109] while pesticide usage in the agriculture
and antiquated industrial sewage systems produce extensive soil and water pollution with
chemicals and detergents.[110] Bulgaria is home to Maritsa Iztok-2, a lignite-fired power station
causing the highest damage costs to health and the environment in the entire European Union
according to the European Environment Agency.[111] It is the only EU member which does not
recycle municipal waste,[112] although an electronic waste recycling plant opened in June
2010.[113] The situation has improved in recent years, and several government-funded programs
have been put into place in an attempt to reduce pollution levels.[110] According to Yale
University's 2012 Environmental Performance Index, Bulgaria is a "modest performer" in
protecting the environment.[114] Over 75% of surface rivers meet the standards for good quality.
An improvement of water quality began in 1998 and has maintained a sustainable trend of
moderate improvement.[115]

Biodiversity

See also: Category:Lists of biota of Bulgaria.

See also: List of fish of the Black Sea

Alluvial forest (Longoz) in Kamchia Biosphere Reserve

The interaction of climatic, hydrological, geological and topographical conditions have produced
a relatively wide variety of plant and animal species.[116] Bulgaria is one of the countries with
highest biodiversity in Europe.[117] Bulgaria's biodiversity is conserved in three national parks, 11
nature parks[118] and 16 biosphere reserves.[119] Nearly 35 per cent of its land area consists of
forests,[120] where some of the oldest trees in the world, such as Baikushev's pine and the Granit
oak,[121] grow. Most of the plant and animal life is central European, although representatives of
Arctic and alpine species are present at high altitudes.[122] Its flora encompass more than 3,800
species of which 170 are endemic and 150 are considered endangered.[123] A checklist of larger
fungi of Bulgaria reported that more than 1,500 species occur in the country.[124] Animal species
include owls, rock partridges, wallcreepers[122] and brown bears.[125] The Eurasian lynx and the
eastern imperial eagle have small, but growing populations.[126]
In 1998, the Bulgarian government approved the National Biological Diversity Conservation
Strategy, a comprehensive programme seeking the preservation of local ecosystems, protection
of endangered species and conservation of genetic resources.[127] Bulgaria has some of the largest
Natura 2000 areas in Europe covering 33.8% of its territory.[128]

Politics
Main article: Politics of Bulgaria

The National Assembly building in Sofia

Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy in which the most powerful executive position is that of
prime minister.[91] The political system has three brancheslegislative, executive and judicial,
with universal suffrage for citizens at least 18 years old. The Constitution of Bulgaria provides
also possibilities of direct democracy.[129] Elections are supervised by an independent Central
Election Commission that includes members from all major political parties. Parties must
register with the commission prior to participating in a national election.[130] Normally, the prime
minister-elect is the leader of the party receiving the most votes in parliamentary elections,
although this is not always the case.[91]

Political parties gather in the National Assembly, which consists of 240 deputies elected to four-
year terms by direct popular vote. The National Assembly has the power to enact laws, approve
the budget, schedule presidential elections, select and dismiss the Prime Minister and other
ministers, declare war, deploy troops abroad, and ratify international treaties and agreements.
The president serves as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and has
the authority to return a bill for further debate, although the parliament can override the
presidential veto by a simple majority vote of all members of parliament.[91]

GERB-backed Rosen Plevneliev is the elected President of Bulgaria after the presidential
elections in 2011 in which he received 52.5 per cent of the votes on the second round against
47.5 per cent for his then-Socialist Party opponent Ivaylo Kalfin.[131]

Political groups in the Parliament and number of representatives (2014):[132]

GERB (centre-right, 83)
BSP Left Bulgaria (centre-left, 38)
 DPS (centrist, 36)
Reformist Bloc (right-wing, 23)
Patriotic Front (right-wing, 18)
BBTs (populist, 14)
Attack (far right, 11)
ABV (centre-left, 11)
Independent (6)

Until February 2013 GERB had 117 seats in the National Assembly, ruling as a minority
government without support from the other political parties in the parliament.[133] The
government resigned on 20 February 2013 after nationwide protests caused by high costs of
utilities, low living standards[134] and the failure of the democratic system.[135] The protest wave
was marked by self-immolations, spontaneous demonstrations and a strong sentiment against
political parties.[136] As a consequence, the Parliament was dissolved and a new provisional
government was set up by the President. The subsequent snap elections in May 2013 elections
resulted in a narrow GERB win.[137] However, with no support from the other three political
parties that entered the parliament, on 24 May, GERB leader Borisov returned the president's
mandate to try and form a government. The Bulgarian Socialist Party nominated ex-Finance
Minister Plamen Oresharski for the post of Prime Minister in May 2013.[138][139] Only two weeks
after its initial formation the Oresharski government came under opposition criticism and had to
deal with large-scale protests some with more than 11 000 participants.[140] The government
survived five votes of no-confidence before voluntarily resigning[141] on 23 July 2014.[142] On 6
August, a caretaker government led by Georgi Bliznashki was sworn into office and the
Oresharski government was officially dissolved.[143]

A new round of parliamentary elections on 5 October 2014[144] again resulted in a GERB victory
with around a third of the vote. A total of eight parties won seats, the first time since the
beginning of democratic elections in 1990 that more than seven parties entered parliament.[145]
After being tasked by President Rosen Plevneliev to form a government, Borisov's GERB
formed a coalition[146] and members of the parties in the Reformist Bloc (Democrats for a Strong
Bulgaria (DSB), Union of Democratic Forces (SDS), Bulgaria for Citizens Movement (DBG)
and Bulgarian Agrarian National Union (BZNS)) were chosen for Minister positions. The vice
chairman of the Alternative for Bulgarian Revival party Ivaylo Kalfin was voted for Depute
Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Policy.

Bulgaria has a typical civil law legal system.[147] The judiciary is overseen by the Ministry of
Justice. The Supreme Administrative Court and Supreme Court of Cassation are the highest
courts of appeal and oversee the application of laws in subordinate courts.[130] The Supreme
Judicial Council manages the system and appoints judges. Bulgaria's judiciary, along with other
institutions, remains one of Europe's most corrupt and inefficient.[148][149][150][151]

Law enforcement is carried out by organisations mainly subordinate to the Ministry of the
Interior.[152] The National Police Service (NPS) combats general crime, maintains public order
and supports the operations of other law enforcement agencies.[153] NPS fields 27,000 police
officers in its local and national sections.[154] The Ministry of Interior also heads the Border
Police Service and the National Gendarmeriea specialised branch for anti-terrorist activity,
crisis management and riot control. Counterintelligence and national security are the
responsibility of the State Agency for National Security, established in 2008.[155]

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Provinces of Bulgaria and Municipalities of Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a unitary state.[156] Since the 1880s, the number of territorial management units has
varied from seven to 26.[157] Between 1987 and 1999 the administrative structure consisted of
nine provinces (oblasti, singular oblast). A new administrative structure was adopted in parallel
with the decentralisation of the economic system.[158] It includes 27 provinces and a metropolitan
capital province (Sofia-Grad). All areas take their names from their respective capital cities. The
provinces subdivide into 264 municipalities.

Municipalities are run by mayors, who are elected to four-year terms, and by directly elected
municipal councils. Bulgaria is a highly centralised state, where the national Council of
Ministers directly appoints regional governors and all provinces and municipalities are heavily
dependent on it for funding.[130]

28. Blagoevgrad
29. Burgas
30. Dobrich
31. Gabrovo
32. Haskovo
33. Kardzhali
34. Kyustendil
35. Lovech
36. Montana
37. Pazardzhik
38. Pernik
39. Pleven
40. Plovdiv
41. Razgrad
42. Ruse
43. Shumen
44. Silistra
45. Sliven
46. Smolyan
47. Sofia Province
48. Stara Zagora
49. Targovishte
50. Varna
51. Veliko Tarnovo
52. Vidin
53. Vratsa
54. Yambol

Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Bulgaria

The EU parliament in Brussels. Bulgaria is one of 28 member states of the European Union.

Bulgaria became a member of the United Nations in 1955 and since 1966 has been a non-
permanent member of the Security Council three times, most recently from 2002 to 2003.[159]
Bulgaria was also among the founding nations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE) in 1975. It joined NATO on 29 March 2004, signed the European Union
Treaty of Accession on 25 April 2005,[93][160] and became a full member of the European Union
on 1 January 2007.[94] Polls carried out seven years after the country's accession to the EU found
only 15% of Bulgarians felt they had personally benefited from membership, with almost 40% of
the population saying they would not bother to vote in the 2014 EU elections.[161] Euro-Atlantic
integration became a priority for the country since the fall of Communism, although the
Communist leadership also had aspirations of leaving the Warsaw Pact and joining the European
Communities by 1987.[162][163][164]

Bulgaria's relationship with its neighbours since 1990 has generally been good. The country also
plays an important role in promoting regional security.[165] Bulgaria has an active tripartite
economic and diplomatic collaboration with Romania and Greece,[166] maintains strong relations
with EU members, the United States, and Russia, and continues to improve its traditionally good
ties with China[167] and Vietnam.[168] The HIV trial in Libya, which followed after the
imprisonment of several Bulgarian nurses in Benghazi in 1998, had a significant impact on
relations between Bulgaria, the European Union, and Libya. It resulted in the release of the
nurses by Muammar Gaddafi's government, which was granted a contract to receive a nuclear
reactor and weapons supplies from France in exchange.[169]

Military

Main article: Military of Bulgaria

Mikoyan MiG-29 jet fighters of the Bulgarian Air Force

Bulgaria hosted six KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and 200 support personnel for the war effort in
Afghanistan in 2001, which was the first stationing of foreign forces on its territory since World
War II.[13] International military relations were further expanded in April 2006, when Bulgaria
and the United States signed a defence cooperation agreement providing for the usage of Bezmer
and Graf Ignatievo air bases, the Novo Selo training range, and a logistics centre in Aytos as
joint military training facilities.[170] The same year Foreign Policy magazine listed Bezmer Air
Base as one of the six most important overseas facilities used by the USAF due to its proximity
to the Middle East.[171] A total of 756 troops are deployed abroad[when?] as part of various UN and
NATO missions. Historically, Bulgaria deployed significant numbers of military and civilian
advisors in Soviet-allied countries, such as Nicaragua[172] and Libya (more than 9,000
personnel).[173]

Domestic defence is the responsibility of the all-volunteer military of Bulgaria, consisting of land
forces, navy and air force. The land forces consist of two mechanised brigades and eight
independent regiments and battalions; the air force operates 106 aircraft and air defence systems
in six air bases, and the navy operates a variety of ships, helicopters and coastal defence
measures.[174] Following a series of reductions beginning in 1990, the number of active troops
contracted from 152,000 in 1988[175] to about 32,000 in the 2000s,[176] supplemented in 2010 by a
reserve force of 302,500 soldiers and officers and 34,000 paramilitary servicemen.[177] The
inventory is mostly of Soviet origin, such as MiG-29 fighters, SA-10 Grumble SAMs and SS-21
Scarab short-range ballistic missiles. As of 2012, the government planned to spend $1.4
billion[clarification needed] for the deployment of new fighter jets, communications systems and cyber
warfare capabilities.[178] Total military spending in 2009 cost $819 million.[clarification needed][179][needs
update]

Economy
Main article: Economy of Bulgaria

Rates of economic growth (green and red) and unemployment (blue)

Bulgaria has an emerging market economy[180] in the upper middle income range,[181] where the
private sector accounts for more than 80 per cent of GDP.[182] From a largely agricultural country
with a predominantly rural population in 1948, by the 1980s Bulgaria had transformed into an
industrial economy with scientific and technological research at the top of its budgetary
expenditure priorities.[183] The loss of COMECON markets in 1990 and the subsequent "shock
therapy" of the planned system caused a steep decline in industrial and agricultural production,
ultimately followed by an economic collapse in 1997.[184][185] The economy largely recovered
during a period of rapid growth several years later,[184] but the average salary remains one of the
lowest in the EU at 952 leva (488) per month in March 2016.[186] More than a fifth of the labour
force are employed on a minimum wage of 1 per hour.[187] Wages, however, account for only
half of the total household income,[188] owing to the substantial informal economy which
amounts to almost 32% of GDP.[189] Bulgarian PPS GDP per capita stood at 47 per cent of the
EU average in 2014 according to Eurostat data,[190] while the cost of living was 48 per cent of the
average.[191] The currency is the lev, which is pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 lev for 1
euro.[192] Bulgaria is not part of the eurozone and has abandoned its plans to adopt the euro.[193]

Economic indicators have worsened amid the financial crisis of 20072008. After several
consecutive years of high growth, GDP contracted 5.5 per cent in 2009 and unemployment
remains above 12 per cent.[194][195] Industrial output declined 10 per cent, mining by 31 per cent,
and ferrous and metal production marked a 60 per cent drop.[196] Positive growth was restored in
2010,[195] although investments and consumption continue to decline steadily due to rising
unemployment.[197] The same year, intercompany debt exceeded 51 billion, meaning that 60 per
cent of all Bulgarian companies were mutually indebted.[198] By 2012, it had increased to 83
billion, or 227 per cent of GDP.[199] The government implemented strict austerity measures with
IMF and EU encouragement to some positive fiscal results, but the social consequences of these
measures have been "catastrophic" according to the International Trade Union Confederation.[200]
Corruption remains another obstacle to economic growth. Bulgaria is one of the most corrupt
European Union members and ranks 75th in the Corruption Perceptions Index.[201] Weak law
enforcement and overall low capacity of civil service remain as challenges in curbing corruption.
However, fighting against corruption has become the focus of the government because of the EU
accession, and several anti-corruption programs have been undertaken by different government
agencies.[202]

Bulgaria (orange) and its largest export partners by share of total exports

Economic activities are fostered by the lowest personal and corporate income tax rates in the
EU,[203] and the second-lowest public debt of all member states at 16.5 per cent of GDP in
2012.[204] In 2013, GDP (PPP) was estimated at $119.6 billion, with a per capita value of
$16,518.[205] Sofia and the surrounding Yugozapaden planning area are the most developed
region of the country with a per capita PPS GDP of $27,282 in 2011.[206] Bulgaria is a net
receiver of funds from the EU. The absolute amount of received funds was 589 million in
2009.[207]

The labour force is 2.45 million people,[208] of whom 7.1 per cent are employed in agriculture,
35.2 per cent are employed in industry and 57.7 per cent are employed in the services sector.[209]
Extraction of metals and minerals, production of chemicals, machinery and vehicle
components,[210] petroleum refining[211] and steel are among the major industrial activities.[212]
Mining and its related industries employ a total of 120,000 people and generate about five per
cent of the country's GDP.[213] Bulgaria is Europe's sixth-largest coal producer.[213][214] Local
deposits of coal, iron, copper and lead are vital for the manufacturing and energy sectors.[215]
Almost all top export items of Bulgaria are industrial commodities such as oil products, copper
products and pharmaceuticals.[216] Bulgaria is also a net exporter of agricultural and food
products, of which two-thirds go to OECD countries.[217] It is the largest global producer of
perfumery essential oils such as lavender and rose oil.[13][218] Agriculture has declined
significantly in the past two decades. Production in 2008 amounted to only 66 per cent of that
between 1999 and 2001,[216] while cereal and vegetable yields have dropped by nearly 40 per
cent since 1990.[219] Of the services sector, tourism is the most significant contributor to
economic growth.[220] In recent years, Bulgaria has emerged as a travelling destination with its
inexpensive resorts and beaches outside the reach of the tourist industry.[221][222] Lonely Planet
ranked it among its top 10 destinations for 2011.[223] Most of the visitors are British, Romanian,
German and Russian.[224] The capital Sofia, the medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo,[225] coastal
resorts Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and winter resorts Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets are
some of the locations most visited by tourists.[220]

Science and technology

Main article: Science and technology in Bulgaria

A supercomputer cabinet at NCSA

Bulgaria spends 0.25 per cent of GDP on scientific research, thus having one of the lowest R&D
budgets in Europe.[226][227] Chronic underinvestment in research since 1990 forced many
scientific professionals to leave the country.[228] As a result, Bulgaria scores low in terms of
innovation, competitiveness and high-value added exports.[229][230] Principal areas of research and
development are energy, nanotechnology, archaeology and medicine.[226] The Bulgarian
Academy of Sciences (BAS) is the leading scientific establishment and employs most Bulgarian
researchers in its numerous institutes. It has been active in the field of space science with
RADOM-7 radiation monitoring experiments on the International Space Station[231] and
Chandrayaan-1,[232] and domestically developed space greenhouses on the Mir space
station.[233][234] Bulgaria became the sixth country in the world to have an astronaut in space with
Georgi Ivanov's flight on Soyuz 33 in 1979. Bulgaria is an active member of CERN and has
contributed to its activities with nearly 200 scientists since its accession in 1999.[235][236]

In the 1980s Bulgaria was known as the "Silicon Valley of the Eastern Bloc" because of its
large-scale computing technology exports to COMECON states.[237] The ICT sector generates 10
per cent of GDP[238] and employs the third-largest contingent of ICT specialists in the world. A
National Centre for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) operates the only supercomputer in
Southeastern Europe.[239][240] The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is planning to buy another
supercomputer in 2015 which will be used together with Hi-Tech SME's.[241]

Internet usage has increased rapidly since 2000the number of users grew from 430,000 to
3.4 million (48 per cent penetration rate) in 2010.[242] Telephone services are widely available,
and a central digital trunk line connects most regions.[243] More than 90 per cent of fixed lines are
served by the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC),[244] while mobile services are
provided by three operatorsMtel, Telenor and Vivacom.[245]

Miscellaneous

According to the organization Mensa Bulgarians are second in the world in test results for
intelligence and Bulgarian students have the second highest results on SAT.[246][247] According to
Mensa tests conducted in 2004, the most clever woman (among the smartest people) is
determined Bulgarian Daniela Simidchieva who achieves IQ of 200.[248]

Infrastructure

Main articles: Energy in Bulgaria and Transport in Bulgaria

Trakia motorway

Bulgaria's strategic geographic location and well-developed energy sector make it a key
European energy centre despite its lack of significant fossil fuel deposits.[249] Nearly 34 percent
of its electricity is produced by the nuclear power station at Kozloduy[250] and public opinion
strongly supports nuclear energy development.[251] The rapid expansion of alternative energy
sources such as wind and solar power stations[252] make Bulgaria one of the fastest-growing wind
energy producers in the world.[253] The country aims to produce 16 percent of its electricity from
renewable energy sources by 2020.[254]
The national road network has a total length of 40,231 kilometres (24,998 mi),[255] of which
39,587 kilometres (24,598 mi) are paved, but nearly half fall into the lowest international rating
for paved roads.[243] Railroads are a major mode of freight transportation, although highways
carry a progressively larger share of freight. Bulgaria has 6,238 kilometres (3,876 mi) of railway
track[243] and currently a total of 81 km of high-speed lines are in operation.[256][257][258][259] Rail
links are available with Romania, Turkey, Greece, and Serbia, and express trains serve direct
routes to Kiev, Minsk, Moscow and Saint Petersburg.[260] Sofia and Plovdiv are the country's air
travel hubs, while Varna and Burgas are the principal maritime trade ports.[243] Varna is also
scheduled to be the first station on EU territory to receive natural gas through the South Stream
pipeline.[261]

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Bulgaria

The population of Bulgaria is 7,364,570 people according to the 2011 national census. The
majority of the population, or 72.5 per cent, reside in urban areas;[262] approximately one-sixth of
the total population is concentrated in Sofia.[263][264] Bulgarians are the main ethnic group and
comprise 84.8 per cent of the population. Turkish and Roma minorities comprise 8.8 and 4.9 per
cent, respectively; some 40 smaller minorities comprise 0.7 per cent, and 0.8 per cent do not self-
identify with an ethnic group.[1]

Distribution of languages of Bulgaria (2001)[265]

Bulgarian 84.5%
Turkish 9.6%
Roma (Gypsy) 4.1%
others 0.9%
undeclared 0.9%

All ethnic groups speak Bulgarian, either as a first or as a second language. Bulgarian is the only
language with official status and native for 85.2 per cent of the population. The oldest written
Slavic language, Bulgarian is distinguishable from the other languages in this group through
certain grammatical peculiarities such as the lack of noun cases and infinitives, and a suffixed
definite article.[266][267]

Government estimates from 2003 put the literacy rate at 98.6 per cent, with no significant
difference between the sexes. Educational standards have been traditionally high,[268] although
still far from European benchmarks and in continuing deterioration for the past decade.[269]
Bulgarian students were among the highest-scoring in the world in terms of reading in 2001,
performing better than their Canadian and German counterparts; by 2006, scores in reading,
math and science had deteriorated. State expenditures for education are far below the European
Union average.[269] The Ministry of Education, Youth and Science partially funds public schools,
colleges and universities, sets criteria for textbooks and oversees the publishing process.[270] The
State provides free education in primary and secondary public schools.[268] The educational
process spans through 12 grades, where grades one through eight are primary and nine through
twelve are secondary level.[270] High schools can be technical, vocational, general or specialised
in a certain discipline, while higher education consists of a 4-year bachelor degree and a 1-year
master's degree.[271]

Bulgarian Orthodox Theophany Crucession

The Constitution of Bulgaria defines it as a secular state with guaranteed religious freedom, but
designates Orthodoxy as a "traditional" religion.[272] The Bulgarian Orthodox Church gained
autocephalous status in 927 AD,[273][274] and currently has 12 dioceses and over 2,000 priests.[275]
More than three-quarters of Bulgarians subscribe to Eastern Orthodoxy.[276] Sunni Muslims are
the second-largest community and constitute 10 per cent of the religious makeup, although a
majority of them do not pray and find the use of Islamic veils in schools unacceptable.[277] Less
than three per cent are affiliated with other religions, 11.8 per cent do not self-identify with a
religion and 21.8 per cent refused to state their beliefs.[276]

Bulgaria has a universal healthcare system financed by taxes and contributions.[278] The National
Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) pays a gradually increasing portion of the costs of primary
healthcare.[279] Projected healthcare expenditures for 2013 amount to 4.1 per cent of GDP.[280]
The number of doctors is above the EU average with 181 physicians per 100,000 people,[281] but
distribution by fields of practice is uneven, there is a severe shortage of nurses and other medical
personnel, and the quality of most medical facilities is poor.[282] Personnel shortages in some
fields are so severe that patients resort to seeking treatment in neighboring countries.[283]
Bulgaria ranks 113th globally by average life expectancy, which stands at 73.6 years for both
genders.[284] The primary causes of death are similar to those in other industrialised countries,
mainly cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms and respiratory diseases.[278]

Bulgaria is in a state of demographic crisis.[285][286] It has had negative population growth since
the early 1990s, when the economic collapse caused a long-lasting emigration wave.[287] Some
937,000 to 1,200,000 peoplemostly young adultsleft the country by 2005.[287][288] The total
fertility rate (TFR) was estimated in 2013 at 1.43 children born/woman, which is below the
replacement rate of 2.1.[289] A third of all households consist of only one person and 75.5 per cent
of families do not have children under the age of 16.[286] Consequently, population growth and
birth rates are among the lowest in the world[290][291] while death rates are among the highest.[292]
The majority of children are born to unmarried women (of all births 57.4 per cent were outside
marriage in 2012).[293]
 v
t
e

Largest cities or towns in Bulgaria

2011 Census[294]
Ran Provin Ran
Name Pop. Name Province Pop.
k ce k
Sofia- 1,204,6 80,19
1 Sofia 11 Pernik Pernik
Capital 85 1
Plovdi 76,39
2 Plovdiv 338,153 12 Haskovo Haskovo
v 7
74,13
3 Varna Varna 334,870 13 Yambol Yambol
2
Burga Pazardzhi Pazardzhi 71,97
4 Burgas 200,271 14
s k k 9
Blagoevgr Blagoevgr 70,88
5 Ruse Ruse 149,642 15
ad ad 1
Sofia
Stara
Stara Veliko Veliko 68,78
6 Zagor 138,272 16 Varna
Zagora Tarnovo Tarnovo 3
a
60,69
7 Pleven Pleven 106,954 17 Vratsa Vratsa
2
Burgas
Plovdiv 58,95
8 Sliven Sliven 91,620 18 Gabrovo Gabrovo
0
Dobri Dobric Asenovgr 50,84
9 91,030 19 Plovdiv
ch h ad 6
Shum Shume 48,07
10 80,855 20 Vidin Vidin
en n 1

Culture
Main article: Culture of Bulgaria
Thracian golden wreath in the National Historical Museum

Bulgarian folk dancers and musicians in traditional attire

Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila

Mavrud - the most famous Bulgarian red wine

Traditional Bulgarian culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with
Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Persian and Celtic influences.[295][296][297] Nine historical and natural
objects have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Madara Rider, the
Thracian tombs in Sveshtari and Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery, the Rock-
hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Pirin National Park, Sreburna Nature Reserve and the ancient city of
Nesebar.[298] Nestinarstvo, a ritual fire-dance of Thracian origin,[299] is included in the list of
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.[300] Fire is an essential element of Bulgarian folklore,
used to banish evil spirits and diseases. Bulgarian folklore personifies illnesses as witches and
has a wide range of creatures, including lamya, samodiva (veela) and karakondzhul.[301] Some of
the customs and rituals against these spirits have survived and are still practised, most notably
the kukeri and survakari.[302] Martenitsa is also widely celebrated.[303]

Slavic culture was centred in both the First and Second Bulgarian Empires during much of the
Middle Ages. The Preslav, Ohrid and Tarnovo literary schools exerted considerable cultural
influence over the Eastern Orthodox world.[304][305][306] Many languages in Eastern Europe and
Asia use Cyrillic script, which originated in the Preslav Literary School around the 9th
century.[307] The medieval advancement in the arts and letters ended with the Ottoman conquest
when many masterpieces were destroyed, and artistic activities did not re-emerge until the
National Revival in the 19th century.[308] After the Liberation, Bulgarian literature quickly
adopted European literary styles such as Romanticism and Symbolism. Since the beginning of
the 20th century, several Bulgarian authors, such as Ivan Vazov, Pencho Slaveykov, Peyo
Yavorov, Yordan Radichkov and Tzvetan Todorov have gained prominence.[309][310] In 1981
Bulgarian-born writer Elias Canetti was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.[311]

Bulgarian folk music is by far the most extensive traditional art and has slowly developed
throughout the ages as a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. It contains Far Eastern,
Oriental, medieval Eastern Orthodox and standard Western European tonalities and modes.[312]
The music has a distinctive sound and uses a wide range of traditional instruments, such as
gadulka, gaida (bagpipe), kaval and tupan. One of its most distinguishing features is extended
rhythmical time, which has no equivalent in the rest of European music.[13] The State Television
Female Vocal Choir is the most famous performing folk ensemble, and received a Grammy
Award in 1990.[313] Bulgaria's written musical composition can be traced back to the early
Middle Ages and the works of Yoan Kukuzel (c. 12801360).[314] Classical music, opera and
ballet are represented by composers Emanuil Manolov, Pancho Vladigerov and Georgi Atanasov
and singers Ghena Dimitrova, Boris Hristov and Nikolay Gyaurov.[315][316][317][318][319] Bulgarian
performers have gained popularity in several other genres like progressive rock (FSB),
electropop (Mira Aroyo) and jazz (Milcho Leviev).

The religious visual arts heritage includes frescoes, murals and icons, many produced by the
medieval Tarnovo Artistic School.[320] Vladimir Dimitrov, Nikolay Diulgheroff and Christo are
some of the most famous modern Bulgarian artists.[308] Film industry remains weak: in 2010,
Bulgaria produced three feature films and two documentaries with public funding. Cultural
events are advertised in the largest media outlets, including the Bulgarian National Radio, and
daily newspapers Dneven Trud, Dnevnik and 24 Chasa.[321]
While major sections of Bulgaria's media are controlled by state entities, including Bulgarian
National Television, the Bulgarian National Radio, and the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency,
reporting is generally deemed to be unbiased by direct government interference, although there is
no specific legislation to maintain this.[322] Written media has no legal restrictions,[323] and a large
number of private television and radio stations also exist. Despite this, traditional Bulgarian
media outlets are experiencing negative economic and political pressures, and instances of self-
censorship have emerged. Meanwhile, internet media is growing in popularity due to its lack of
censorship and the diversity of content and opinions it presents.[324]

Bulgarian cuisine is similar to those of other Balkan countries and demonstrates a strong Turkish
and Greek influence.[325] Yogurt, lukanka, banitsa, shopska salad, lyutenitsa and kozunak are
among the best-known local foods. Oriental dishes such as moussaka, gyuvech, and baklava are
also present. Meat consumption is lower than the European average, given a notable preference
for a large variety of salads.[325] Rakia is a traditional fruit brandy which was consumed in
Bulgaria as early as the 14th century.[326] Bulgarian wine is known for its Traminer, Muskat and
Mavrud types, of which up to 200,000 tonnes are produced annually.[327][328] Until 1989, Bulgaria
was the world's second-largest wine exporter.[329]

UNESCO World Heritage

Boyana Church
Madara Rider
Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak
Nesebar
Rila Monastery
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
Pirin National Park
Srebarna Reserve
UNSECO World Heritage cultural sights in Bulgaria
: Natural site
: Cultural site

Cultural

Boyana Church (1979)

Madara Rider (1979)
Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo (1979)
 Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (1979)
Ancient City of Nesebar (1983)
Rila Monastery (1983)
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (1985)

Natural

Pirin National Park (1983)

Srebarna Nature Reserve (1983)

Sports

Main article: Sport in Bulgaria

Bulgaria performs well in sports such as wrestling, weight-lifting, boxing, gymnastics,

volleyball, football and tennis.[330] The country fields one of the leading men's volleyball teams,
ranked sixth in the world according to the 2013 FIVB rankings.[331] Football is by far the most
popular sport.[330] Some famous players are AS Monaco forward Dimitar Berbatov and Hristo
Stoichkov, winner of the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball and the most successful Bulgarian
player of all time.[332] Prominent domestic clubs include PFC CSKA Sofia[333][334] and PFC
Levski Sofia. The best performance of the national team at FIFA World Cup finals came in 1994,
when it advanced to the semi-finals by defeating consecutively Greece, Argentina, Mexico and
Germany, finishing fourth.[330] Bulgaria has participated in most Olympic competitions since its
first appearance at the 1896 games, when it was represented by Charles Champaud.[335] The
country has won a total of 218 medals: 52 gold, 86 silver, and 80 bronze,[336] which puts it in
24th place in the all-time ranking.

Stefka Kostadinova is the reigning world record holder in the women's high jump at 2.09 m,
which she jumped during the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome. Her world
record is one of the oldest in modern athletics. Altogether Kostadinova set seven world records -
three outdoors and four indoors. She also holds the women's world record for having jumped
over 2.00 m 197 times.

Yordanka Donkova is a former hurdling athlete, notable for winning an Olympic gold medal and
bronze medal as well as 9 medals at European indoor and outdoor championships. Donkova set
four 100 m hurdles world records in 1986. Her fifth world record, a time of 12.21 set in 1988,
stood until 2016.

Petar Stoychev is a long distance marathon swimmer who set a new swimming world record for
crossing the English Channel in 2007.

Maria Gigova and Maria Petrova have each held a record of three world-titles in rhythmic
gymnastics.

Kaloyan Mahlyanov ( ), known as Kotosh Katsunori is a former

professional sumo wrestler who became the first European to earn the title ozeki in Japan.
Veselin Topalov became FIDE World Chess Champion by winning the FIDE World Chess
Championship 2005. He lost his title in the World Chess Championship 2006 against Vladimir
Kramnik.

Bulgaria national volleyball team has regularly featured in the Top 10, and has earned silver
medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics, the 1970 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship
and the 1951 European Championship, as well as numerous bronze medals, including at the 2007
World Cup in Japan.

See also
Outline of Bulgaria
International rankings of Bulgaria
List of twin towns and sister cities in Bulgaria

Footnotes
2.

19 February in the Julian calendar used at the time.

3. 22 September in the Julian calendar used at the time.

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85109-440-7. Retrieved 20 December 2011. Their influence in Thrace (roughly modern Bulgaria
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they established a kingdom known as Tylis (alternatively Tyle) on the Thracian coast of the
Black Sea.
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Cassander's army on the slopes of Mount Haemos. ... The power of the Thracians had been
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of that area in ancient times bear witness to the presence of Celtic strongholds
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ISBN 1-85302-485-6. Retrieved 20 December 2011. While dancing round fires and jumping over
fires forms part of many Slav customs, dancing on fire does not, and it is therefore likely that
nestinarstvo was inherited by the Bulgarians from the Hellenized Thracians who inhabited the
land before them.
"Nestinarstvo, messages from the past: the Panagyr of Saints Constantine and Helena in the
village of Bulgari". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
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 "Bulgaria The arts". Encyclopdia Britannica. 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011. The
early impetus of Bulgarian traditions in the arts was cut short by the Ottoman occupation in the
14th century, and many early masterpieces were destroyed. ... the foundations were laid for later
artists such as Vladimir Dimitrov, an extremely gifted painter specializing in the rural scenes of
his native country ... At the beginning of the 21st century, the best-known contemporary
Bulgarian artist was Christo, an environmental sculptor known for wrapping famous structures
"Bulgaria The arts". Encyclopdia Britannica. 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
World classics and modern foreign dramas are typically produced, as well as both modern and
traditional Bulgarian plays, including those by Ivan Vazov and poet Peyo Yavorov ... These
included poets such as Pencho Slaveykov, Yavorov, and Dimcho Debelyanov ... More recent
authors of note include poet Atanas Slavov, Yordan Radichkov, and Blaga Dimitrova.
"French-Bulgarian Theorist Tzvetan Todorov Wins Top Spanish Award". Novinite. 18 June
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Press. p. 52. Retrieved 20 December 2011. Bulgaria's scales are numerous, and it may be
demonstrated that they are a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. ... first, Oriental scales;
second, church modes: the osmoglasie ... third, the conventional scales of Western Europe. ...
Among the scales which have comes to the Balkans from Asia, the pentatonic is one of the most
widely used in Bulgaria. Whether it came from China or Japan, as Dobri Hristov suggests
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Westview Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-89158-530-5. John Kukuzel, the eminent Bulgarian/born
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Bulgaria" (PDF). Library of Congress. pp. 18, 23. Retrieved 4 September 2009. Mass Media: In
2006 Bulgaria's print and broadcast media generally were considered unbiased, although the
government dominated broadcasting through the state-owned Bulgarian National Television
(BNT) and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and print news dissemination through the largest
press agency, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. [...]Human Rights: In the early 2000s, Bulgaria
generally has been rated highly on the issue of human rights. However, some exceptions exist.
Although the media have a record of unbiased reporting, Bulgaria's lack of specific legislation
protecting the media from state interference is a theoretical weakness.
Media Landscape Bulgaria, European Journalism Centre Archived 22 July 2010 at the
Wayback Machine.
Footprint of Financial Crisis in the Media, Bulgaria Country Report, Open Society Institute,
December 2009 Archived 3 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
Albala, Ken (2011). Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 61, 62.
ISBN 978-0-313-37626-9. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Archeological Find Proves Rakia Is Bulgarian Invention". Novinite. 10 October 2011.
Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"The Russians bought 81 mln. litres of Bulgarian wine". Investor Group BG. Retrieved 15
April 2010.
"The Bulgarian Table, from Sudjuk to Shopska". Novinite. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 20
December 2011.
"Bulgaria Bounces Back". Novinite. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
"Bulgaria- Sport and recreation". Encyclopdia Britannica. 2011. Retrieved 20 December
2011. In international sports competition, Bulgarians have excelled in tennis, wrestling, boxing,
and gymnastics, but the country's greatest repute may be in weight-lifting. ... Fans of football
(soccer), the most popular sport in Bulgaria, were buoyed by the success of the national team in
the 1994 World Cup, when it advanced to the semi-final match under the leadership of forward
Hristo Stoichkov. The premier league in Bulgaria has 16 teams, of which four play in Sofia:
CSKA, Levski, Slavia, and Lokomotiv.
"FIVB official rankings as per October 7, 2013". International Volleyball Federation
(FIVB). 7 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
"Hristo Stoichkov Bulgarian League Ambassador". Professional Football Against
Hunger. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
"Rankings of A Group". BgClubs. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Ingo Faulhaber. "Best club of 20th century ranking at the official site of the International
Federation of Football History and Statistics". Iffhs.de. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
"Athens 1896". Bulgarian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 28 September
2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.

337. "Bulgaria". Official website of the Olympic movement. Retrieved 4 December

2011.

Bibliography
"2011 census of Bulgaria" (PDF) (in Bulgarian). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria.
2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
Chary, Frederick B. The History of Bulgaria (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern
Nations) (2011) excerpt and text search
Crampton, R. J. A Concise History of Bulgaria (2005) Cambridge, UK; New York:
Cambridge University Press ISBN 978-0-521-61637-9
Bell, John D., ed. (1998). Bulgaria in Transition: Politics, Economics, Society, and
Culture after Communism. Westview. ISBN 978-0-8133-9010-9
 Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2011) Lost in Transition: Ethnographies of Everyday Life After
Communism. Duke University Press.
Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2010) Muslim Lives in Eastern Europe: Gender, Ethnicity and the
Transformation of Islam in Postsocialist Bulgaria. Princeton University Press.
Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2005) The Red Riviera: Gender, Tourism and Postsocialism on the
Black Sea. Duke University Press.
"Country Profile: Bulgaria" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies. Library of
Congress. 2006. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
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[1992 research]. "Country Study: Bulgaria". Library of Congress Country Studies.
Library of Congress. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "Historical Setting". Chapter 1. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "The First Golden Age". Chapter 1. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
o "The Final Move to Independence". The Bulgarian Independence Movement.
Retrieved 4 December 2011.
o "San Stefano, Berlin, and Independence". The Bulgarian Independence
Movement. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
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December 2011.
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